The Last Goodbye
by Ollie.x3
Summary: Post 5x15. Serena decides to temporarily move out of the Waldorf penthouse. B/S friendship.
1. Chapter 1

A little fic, set after the mess that was 5x15. I doubt that an exchange like this will occur, but writing it helped me to vent.

I own nothing.

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><p><strong>THE LAST GOODBYE<strong>

****_I heard all you said, and I love you to death._

_I heard all you said. Don't say anything._

The Kills - The Last Goodbye

Blair walked through the connecting bathroom and knocked on Serena's door. Getting no reply, she sighed and pushed through, determined to talk things out with her best friend.

"What are you doing?"

There were different articles of clothing all over Serena's bed, as well as a suitcase filled with more clothes, on the floor.

"I'm going to stay with my mom."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm carrying this betrayal with me, wherever I go. I don't need to have it looming over my head in my home, too."

Blair huffed. "I said I was sorry, S. What else can I do?"

Serena dropped a skirt into her suitcase. "Nothing. You don't have to do a thing, Blair. You've already done enough."

"You're not being fair, Serena. It wasn't my fault."

Serena's head whipped round and she glared at her best friend. "Did you, or did you not, kiss him back?"

Blair's eyes dropped to the floor. "Yes. But I didn't intend for it to happen."

Serena was tired of her excuses. Ever since the Valentine's party, she had been desperate to prove that the kiss meant nothing, but Serena wasn't stupid.

"Save it, B. I've stood by you through everything over the past year. Whether it be Chuck, or Louis, or your ridiculous pact with God. And you ran to him, _every time_. Are you aware that you're married now? Do you even remember that you were going to be a mother."

It was a low blow, she knew it, and it made Blair furious. "Of course I remember! I think about my baby every day! Look, I know you're mad at me, but you can't say stuff like that."

She was disappointed with herself for her outburst. "I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. By I still stand by what I said. I was there for you when you got married to a man that you didn't really love. A man that you got engaged to, after only really knowing him for a few weeks. And you professed your undying love to Chuck, _on your wedding day_, but you seem to have forgotten all about him."

"I didn't forget. I _do_ love him."

Serena scoffed. "You've got a funny way of showing it."

"Don't ever question my love for Chuck. You know how much he means to me."

"Then why aren't you with him?" Serena was shouting now, frustrated with the conversation. "You're marriage is a sham, and he offered you an out, so you two could be together. But instead you're kissing Dan, and hurting the people who love you! God, he would do _anything_ for you, Blair, and so would I! Isn't that enough for you? Has your failed marriage not filled up your life's capacity for drama?"

Blair's mouth dropped open in shock. No one had ever spoken to her like this, especially not her best friend.

"All this time, you've been saying how proud you are of Chuck for growing up and getting the help that he needs. We were _all _growing up: Nate's got the Spectator, I've got my column, and Dan had his book. But you had a wedding; a _fairytale_." Blair attempted to interrupt her, but was cut off. "Your belief in fairytales at the age of twenty-one, is proof of just how little you've matured. And the only reason you stopped believing in them was because your new husband manipulated you. You really have-"

Blair cut her off. "I can't believe you're lecturing me on growing up when you're still pining over your high school boyfriend."

"That I'm still in love with!"

She was done with this conversation. Serena zipped up her suitcase and pulled it up by it's handle. "And he may not have been your boyfriend in high school, but you haven't stopped loving Chuck since you were eighteen, so you of all people, should know what I'm feeling."

Serena walked toward her door but stopped as Blair asked, "How long will you be gone?"

Her head dropped as she sighed. "I don't know. But give me a call if you decide to grow up, and stop being so selfish."

Not wanting those to be her parting words, she turned to Blair. Moisture suddenly filled her eyes as she looked at her best friend. "All I ever did was love you."

Blair felt the absence of her friend as soon as she walked out the door. She buried herself beneath Serena's comforter and cried.


	2. Chapter 2

_This is a continuation of the initial one-shot. It will focus on Blair attempting to rebuild her relationship with Serena, as well as Dan/Blair, Chuck/Blair, Serena/Dan and other pairings._

_Each chapter will be set during an entire episode. There will be very little canon to the show's SL, as I want to make it more realistic. This chapter will continue on from the last chapter, and will be set during 5.16._

_I own nothing._

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 2<strong>

_aka 5.16_

Blair decided to stop mourning the absence of her friend, and to visit another friend instead. Because that's what he was, a _friend_.

Who she may possibly have feelings for.

She wasn't sure what was going on with her right now. She'd already been caught between two men during her engagement, and now that she no longer considered Louis a romantic prospect, despite their nuptials, she really thought her love life would become less complicated.

But the kiss she had shared with Dan had affected her; more than she'd like to admit. She wasn't expecting it, hadn't wanted anything but friendship with him, but he clearly wanted more.

She needed to talk to him before she had any chance of repairing her relationship with Serena.

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><p>"Serena, what are you doing here?"<p>

Chuck Bass looked up at his adopted sister, surprised to see her in his apartment, suitcase in hand.

"My mom's not home and I need a place to crash."

Chuck sighed. "I'm assuming you left the Waldorf penthouse because you know about the kiss."

"I witnessed it."

Chuck winced. "Ouch." He walked over to his bar. "Take a seat. I'll get you a drink."

"I can't believe her! She knew how I felt about him, and yet she didn't think twice about kissing him back. I'm supposed to be her best friend!"

Chuck had listened to her vent for the past hour. Serena was now on her fourth drink, and was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. Around her second scotch, Chuck decided to drink with her, pouring double measures that would get him drunk in no time.

"Dan knew about your feelings, too, right?"

Serena nodded. "Yeah, I told him that I loved him at Blair's wedding. But he didn't care; he still doesn't care."

"This isn't entirely Blair's fault. He was the one that kissed her."

Her brow furrowed. "Why are you defending her? You've watched her marry Louis, and now she's turned her attention to Dan, and you're acting like you don't even care."

Chuck laughed, bitterly. "You don't have to remind me." He took a sip. "Blair is selfish by nature, and while she may not have intended to hurt us both, she has. I was once extremely selfish, too, even more so, but I've been working hard to change that. But because of my past, I understand Blair's need to go after what she wants. And what she wants is Dan. I just need to accept that."

"So you're okay with this? You're going to accept it, just like that."

"I'm going to try my best to do so."

Serena shook her head in disbelief. "You may be the best man I know, Chuck."

"A good man doesn't sleep with his enemy's book agent, in order to get dirt on him. So I wouldn't be too hasty in making statements that we can't retract."

"Oh, Chuck, you didn't."

He sighed. "Don't worry. I'm not going to start scheming any time soon. Humphrey is no concern of mine."

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><p>Dan was visibly shocked when he opened the door to his loft and found Blair Waldorf behind it.<p>

"What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you."

Blair hadn't spoken to him all week. No calls, no texts, nothing. He knew she had felt something that night, at the Empire. He had hoped that this would make her reconsider her marital status, but nothing was going to happen between them with the dowry still in place. Still, a call would have been nice.

"It's been a week, Blair. I've been going out of my mind."

"I'm sorry. Everything's gotten really messy, and fixing things with Serena has been my priority." She took a seat on the couch and her eyes fell to her lap. "She moved out."

His eyes snapped to her face. "What?"

"Only temporarily. But still. She's gone and she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, Blair."

"Yes, she does! And she should. I knew how she felt about you, and I encouraged her to tell you. Witnessing our kiss must have felt like a slap in the face." He went to take her hand but Blair pulled it away. "I can't even imagine how I would feel if I found out that she had kissed Chuck."

She watched Dan stiffen out of the corner of her eye, and turned to face him. His entire demeanour had changed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just... I didn't know you still felt that way about him."

Blair frowned. "What are you talking about? You saw that video at my wedding."

"I know... I just thought, that maybe our kiss had made you realize."

She was still confused. "Realize what?"

"That he's not the right guy for you."

Blair stood up abruptly and slipped her arms through her coat.

"Where are you doing?"

"Leaving. I'm not listening to another person question my feelings for Chuck."

"What? Wait. No, don't leave." He grabbed her arm. "I'm sorry."

She relaxed her shoulders and sighed. "Fine. I accept your apology." She looked up at him, her face serious. "But I want you to know, that if you want to be apart of my life, you have to accept that Chuck was a part of it, too, a big part. And he always will be, in some capacity."

"Okay. Okay." He took her hands in his. "But I wanna ask one question. Is there any room in your life for me?"

Blair didn't know what to say. She had just discovered her feelings for him, and he was already pushing for something more.

"I- I don't know."

He rubbed his thumb along the top of her hand and cupped her face with the other. "Then maybe this will help you to decide."

As his lips brushed hers, all the feelings from that night came rushing back. She kissed him back, softly pressing her lips against his.

"Blair," he sighed into her mouth.

At the sound of her name, Blair froze, suddenly aware of what she was doing, and who she was doing it with.

She pushed against his chest as she pulled her mouth away from his.

"I can't do this... not right now."

He held her face in his hands, his eyes searching hers. "I want you, Blair. I want to be more than your friend."

Blair licked her lips and pulled his hands away from her face. "I have to go." She picked up her bag and walked to the door. As she reached for the handle, she stopped and turned to him. "I'm not saying not ever... just not right now."

Dan was okay with that. He could deal with that.

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><p>Serena and Chuck had eventually made their way downstairs, to the Empire bar, in search of tequila. Serena was sloppy and giggly, a drunken mess, and Chuck felt better than he had all week.<p>

"You know, I never understood what Blair saw in you, but now I get it. You're _fun_, Chuck. Really fun. Everything's more exciting when you're around."

Chuck smirked. "Thank you for that back-handed compliment."

She nudged his shoulder with hers. "No problem."

They each took a shot of tequila before ordering two more.

"Do you remember Thanksgiving, back in junior year?"

"Of course I do. I'd unlocked Waldorf's chastity belt in the back of my limo only weeks before."

She slapped his arm, but couldn't stop the laughter that tumbled out of her mouth.

"Well, that morning, I went to see Blair, and I confronted her about the two of you, after I caught you together at her party. We got into this huge fight because I was mad at her for doing to Nate, what he had done to her, and she asked me, 'are you mad that you didn't get to him first?'" She smiled lazily. "And I wasn't mad, _at all_. But it did make me wonder why, in all the years that we had known each other, we never so much as kissed."

Chuck shrugged. "I guess we were never meant to be more."

She nodded. "Yeah, maybe." She turned to him and he turned, too, her face kind of blurry in his drunken haze. "You know, we could always try it now. Just so we know, for sure, that we weren't missing out on anything."

He licked his lips. "That's a good enough reason for me."

And there, at the bar of his hotel, Chuck Bass kissed Serena van der Woodsen, for the first and only time. It was nice, pleasant in a way that all good kisses are. But that was it. There were no fireworks, no tingles, no... butterflies.

The kiss ended almost as soon as it started, and had definitely sobered them both up. Serena refused to look at him when they broke apart, so he decided to break the tension.

"Well, it's good to know that I can now go to my grave, having kissed Serena van der Woodsen."

She laughed and they finally made eye contact. "I'm sorry, that was dumb."

"It's okay. Things are crazy right now. Why not make them crazier?" They smiled at each other. "Let's go back to my suite. You can have Nate's room; he's staying at Lola's place tonight."

They walked to the elevator, no trace of awkwardness between them, unaware of the Constance senior behind them, who was sending Gossip Girl her latest scoop: a Bass/van der Woodsen kiss.

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><p><em>Please remember that they are not brother and sister by blood.<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N at the bottom. Wasn't totally sure how to spell Blair's royal minder's name. I apologize if it's wrong._

_I own nothing._

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 3<strong>

_aka 5.17_

Blair was grateful that her royal minder, Estie, had been attending to some business in Monaco since Valentine's Day, because she really needed some time alone to sort out her love life.

Serena still hadn't contacted her, and she had no idea where she was staying, as Lily had informed her that she hadn't seen her daughter since she got back from her trip. She was worried about her friend, because when Serena disappeared whilst going through a personal crisis, it usually meant that she was doing the _wrong_ thing, with the _wrong _people.

She checked her phone, hoping that Serena had suddenly forgiven her, and texted her during the night. It was wishful thinking, as she only had two alerts: a Gossip Girl blast, and a text from Dan.

_R U ready to talk yet? - D_

It had been three days since she last saw him. She had visited him at the loft, hoping to talk things through, including the kiss they had shared four days earlier. However, this visit only lead to _another_ kiss, and Blair rushed back to her island, as quickly as she could.

Reading the message, she knew that she wasn't ready to talk. She needed to distract herself from thinking about all things Brooklyn, so she turned to Gossip Girl, wanting to read about somebody else's drama.

What she found made her mouth drop open in shock and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. There was no way the picture was real. It couldn't be...

_Good morning, Upper East Siders!_

_I was sent this juicy scoop a week ago, but being the reliable source that I am, I had to make sure it was true. After all, it's amazing what people can do with photoshop these days..._

_But this isn't camera trickery. No, this is a nuclear gossip bomb, and it's about to explode. And who will suffer in the wake of this devistation? Here's looking at you, B. _

_I always knew C and B had gotten up to some pretty kinky stuff, but I didn't know that Bass liked to keep it in the family._

_Have a good day UESers! _

_xoxo Gossip Girl_

Below the blast was a picture of Chuck and Serena kissing at the Empire Hotel bar. She was in shock. How could Serena do this? She had been so angry at her for kissing Dan, and here she was kissing the love of her life.

She was more furious than she could ever rememer being; even when she found out about Nate and Serena sleeping together at the Shephard wedding. This was such a double standard. How dare she continue to ignore her, after she had done this?

If Serena was going to use stupid tactics to get back at her, then she was going to play dirty. This meant war.

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><p>Chuck had listened to Nate describing every detail of his weekend with Lola, and gushing about what an amazing girl she was, before he finally asked him the question he had been anticipating.<p>

"So what happened between you and Serena?"

He sighed and placed his scotch on the coffee table. "It was a drunken mistake, Nathaniel, nothing more. She was sad, I was sad. We turned to each other for comfort."

"But you're like... siblings."

"Only by marriage."

"And adoption papers."

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Is that all you had to ask me?"

"Well, I _was _wondering how you were handling this whole Dan and Blair thing, but I didn't think it was a good idea to bring it up."

"I'm not happy about it," Chuck admitted. "But it is, what it is."

Nate raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced by his friend's carefree attitude.

Serena was slipping on some boots in Nate's bedroom, listening to the conversation in the living room. She knew Chuck was trying hard to be okay with all of this, and she admired him for it. She only wished that she were capable of it, too.

Her phone buzzing on the bedside table pulled her from her thoughts, and she picked it up, checking the caller ID. _Blair_.

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><p>Seducing Humphrey had been easy. As soon as he opened his door, she had kissed him, and he had responded, enthusiastically.<p>

She knew he had a lot of questions and he didn't fully understand what was happening, but he wasn't pushing her away. Which meant her plan was going smoothly.

Her fingers deftly slipped his shirt buttons through the button-holes, and she pushed him back onto the couch. The wonder and surprise on his face was almost comical. He seemed to gain some confidence when she settled on top of him, and started to kiss her neck. She used his distraction as oppurtunity to press send on the cell phone in her pocket. She didn't know if Serena was going to pick up, but she at least had to try.

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><p>Chuck wasn't sure how he had become Serena's shoulder to cry on, and he certainly wasn't happy about it, but when his sister had ran out of Nate's room in tears, he knew he had to comfort her.<p>

"What happened?"

"Blair called me." She brushed the tears from her cheeks. "She hasn't tried to contact me all week, and I assumed that she had seen the Gossip Girl blast, so I wanted to explain what had happened; that it was nothing. But she must have pocket-dialed me, because all I heard was her and Dan... was her and Dan..."

Chuck grimaced. "I've got it."

"I don't know how much more of this I can handle, Chuck."

He kissed her hair and motioned for Nate to get her a drink. "It'll get easier. Trust me."

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><p>"Blair," Dan mumbled, trying to talk while their lips were pressed together. "Blair."<p>

She looked annoyed. "What?"

"What's that noise?"

He could hear a long, continuous noise, like the dialing tone when someone hangs up on you...

"Blair, is your phone on? Are you calling somebody?"

She smiled sweetly. Too sweetly. "No, of course not. Why would I call someone, at a time like this?"

He sat up and pushed her off of him. "Take your cell phone out of your pocket."

"No."

"Blair."

"No."

"Do it."

"No."

"Do it, or I'll go into your pocket and get it myself."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Serena's caller ID picture filled the screen of Blair's phone, a clear sign that Blair was on a call with her.

"You called Serena? Did you do this on purpose?" Blair's silence was all the answer he needed. "Why would you do that? I thought you were trying to fix things with her, not hurt her even more."

She scoffed. "So now you_ care_ about her feelings?"

He ignored her comment. "Is this about the Gossip Girl blast this morning?"

Her subtle flinch signified that yes, it was, and he really didn't know what to say.

"I thought you'd put all the scheming and the lying behind you. I thought you'd grown up."

"This is who I am, Dan. You know this."

"Yeah, it _was_, when you were seventeen. But you're not in high school anymore."

She glared at him. "Have you ever considered that maybe I'm just a manipulative bitch? That it's simply in my nature?"

Dan rubbed the back of his neck. "You know what? I can't do this. I really don't know what I was thinking. I mean, you're _married_. And an affair would not be good for your already shaky reputation, as Princess of Monaco." He sighed. "I think you should leave."

Blair let out a short, bitter laugh and stood up. She smoothed out her clothes, picked up her bag, and left the Humphrey loft with her chin held high.

She needed to make a stop before she went home. She had been rejected and betrayed by two different people today, and she was going to confront one of those people before the night was over.

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><p>Chuck and Nate had spent the afternoon watching chick flicks with Serena, in an attempt to cheer her up. She seemed to be in a better mood, and she actually cracked a smile when Chuck offered to get takeout for her, from her favorite restaurant.<p>

Nate had left for the night, to stay at Lola's place, around ten. Serena picked a final film for the night - _The Bodyguard_ - while Chuck relaxed with a glass of scotch.

When the elevator doors opened, they both assumed that Nate had returned to pick up something he had forgotten, but they couldn't have been more wrong.

"Serena?"

The siblings looked up at her, clearly shocked by Blair's entrance.

"What are you doing here?" Blair opened her mouth to answer but Serena held up a finger, cutting her off. "Hold that thought."

She retrieved her cell phone from her pocket and frowned at the screen.

"Why is my mom calling me so late?"

She answered the call and went into Chuck's bedroom, leaving the two exes, alone together, in the living room.

Blair took a seat at the edge of the sofa, her back uncomfortably straight. Chuck wasn't sure why she was being so uptight around him, of all people.

"Something wrong, Waldorf? Or should I say, _Grimaldi_?"

She glared at him and adjusted the handbag on her lap. "I'm perfectly fine, Bass."

He smirked at her, enjoying any time he had with her, even if it was fleeting and kind of uncomfortable.

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Serena came back into the living room, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Blair asked. It was almost a reflex, to be concerned for her former best friend.

"My grandma died."

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><p><em>I'd like to address a review, posted by <em>fiona249. _This story is still in it's early stages, and both Serena and Chuck are very hurt, and not really thinking rationally. In regards to them taking the moral high ground, at this point they do have a right, because what Blair is doing is morally wrong. It's a big no-no for a married woman to cheat, no matter how unhappy she is._

_Serena sleeping with Nate is pretty much irrelevant now, in my opinion. Blair also cheated, with Chuck, and both girls went through some issues, as a result of their actions. Also, I think Serena used her time at boarding school to fix herself. It may have been selfish, to leave so abruptly, but she was a mess, and needed to deal with her personal demons: drink, drugs, etc. Blair simply is selfish. She can definitely be _selfless_, but she can also be very self-absorbed. _

_As for making the characters sympathetic. Well, this is Gossip Girl. These characters can be cruel, and bitchy, and manipulative. You don't necessarily have to feel sympathetic towards them. They are who they are, and they make no excuses for it. And if Chuck's dialogue made him appear smarmy, then honestly, I'm surprised. To be smarmy, is to be insincere, and in my writing, I was simply trying to highlight the change that he has made from the old bad-boy Chuck of season one._

_Okay, A/N over. R+R :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_For__ the purpose of making this story less complicated than it already is, I'm ignoring the Ivy/Charlie/Lola storyline. Lola is simply Nate's girlfriend._

_I own nothing._

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><p><strong>CHAPTER FOUR<strong>

_aka 5.18_

Neither Chuck nor Nate had spoken to Serena all week. Chuck had spoken to Lily frequently over the past seven days, and had checked in with her, to make sure Serena was okay, but he wanted to speak to her himself. He had lost his father three years ago; he knew how terrible it felt, when a family member passed away.

Blair had been in touch with him, too, asking for news about her best friend, but he eventually stopped answering her calls. If she wanted to know how she was, she could ask her, herself. He didn't want to be anymore involved in their feud than he already was.

He knew he would be seeing her today, at the funeral. CeCe had been fond of Dan, so he was sure that they'd be attending together. Under the guise of friendship, of course, but he knew there was more, bubbling beneath the surface, and he really didn't want to see it with his own eyes.

He treated himself to a glass of liquid courage, before heading downstairs with Nate, to his limo.

* * *

><p>Blair had been surprised by Dan's reaction to CeCe's death. She knew that they had formed a strange sort of bond over the years, but he was really shaken.<p>

So, when he came to her penthouse, eyes red and an apology tumbling from his mouth, she didn't hestitate in forgiving him for his rejection, the previous night. She also apologized, because first and foremost, Dan was her friend, and she knew it was wrong to manipulate her friends.

She had agreed to go with him to the wake. Serena probably wouldn't be happy about her being there, but they weren't speaking right now, and she wanted to support Dan. Besides, CeCe had been a presence in her life since she was a little girl. She felt like she owed it to her, to pay her respects.

* * *

><p>Serena was a mess, as they had expected. Chuck and Nate did their best to take care of her, despite her insisting that she wanted to be left alone.<p>

She had ignored Dan at the funeral, but that wasn't as easy to do when he entered her mother's penthouse, with Blair on his arm.

"What is she doing here?"

"She came with Dan, for support," Nate explained.

"For support?" She barked out a laugh. "Why does he need support? What about me?"

"You two aren't talking, sis."

Serena's eyes filled with tears. "I know, but regardless of what is happening between us, she was still my best friend for seventeen years. I expected a phone call, at least."

Nate placed his hand on her knee. "I'm sure Blair will come around soon. She probably doesn't know how to approach you."

Serena massaged her temples. "Whatever. I don't want to talk about her. I need a drink."

* * *

><p>Blair had kept her eye on Serena all afternoon. She wanted to speak to her, but she was always with Chuck and Nate, and she didn't want an audience when they finally talked.<p>

When Serena went to the bathroom, Blair found the perfect oppurtunity to - for lack of a better term - corner her.

The door opened and before Serena could step out, Blair had pushed her back inside, locking the door behind her.

"What are you doing?"

"I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to see how you were doing."

"You couldn't have done this over the phone?"

"I didn't think you'd answer."

Serena crossed her arms over her chest. Although she had wanted Blair to call, standing in front of her, right now, only made the bitterness return.

"I'm fine. Now, would you move? I need to head back out there."

"Look, S, about the other night-"

"Stop. I don't want to talk about you and Dan. This is my grandmother's funeral; it's hardly appropriate."

Blair sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Besides, I think if you owe anyone an explanation, it's Chuck." Blair looked confused. "You told him you loved him, and now you're involved with somebody else. He doesn't know where he stands with you. And you know better than anyone, that Chuck doesn't stop obsessing over an issue, until he has answers. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Serena left Blair in the bathroom, unsure if she was going to take her advice. For Chuck's sake, she really hoped that she did.

* * *

><p>She found him in the kitchen, scotch in hand. "Drinking already, Bass? It's only 3 PM."<p>

Chuck turned his head to look at Blair, confused by her attempt at banter.

"What do you want, princess?"

"To talk to you. We haven't really spoken since that night at the airport."

"The night of your wedding, you mean."

She stiffened. "Yes, the night of my wedding."

He leaned back against the kitchen counter. "Well, what is there to say?"

"I owe you... an explanation."

"You don't owe me anything."

She smiled at his attempt to be aloof. "But you're wrong. I do." She moved closer to him, but made sure to leave some space between them. "What happened with Dan... it was totally unexpected. I never considered him as being anything more than a friend. But that night, at the Empire, I realized that I'd developed a real bond with him." She looked down at the floor, a small smile pulling at her lips. "He's good for me. He's helped me through a lot."

"I was willing to help you through it, but you wouldn't let me," he snapped, his cool exterior cracking as he listened to her gush about her newfound feelings.

"Chuck, I know you'll never understand the pact that I made, and I know you don't understand my relationship with Dan, but my feelings for you haven't changed. I want you to know that."

He his head snapped in her direction and he glared at her, suddenly overcome by anger. "Stop telling me how you feel about me. I don't want to know!"

"W-What?" she stuttered, shocked by his outburst.

"I tired of hearing you tell me you love me, and then watching you run off with another man." He slammed his glass down on the counter. "You need to stop this, Blair. It's not fair. If you're not going to be with me, then you have to stop torturing me."

"I'm not trying to torture you, I-"

"No. Stop. Stop talking." He straightened his posture, as well as his tie. "I'm done, Blair."

She blinked rapidly, desperately trying to stop the tears in her eyes from falling. "Chuck, we can't end things like this."

"_We_ aren't ending anything. You already accomplished that when you married the prince, and kissed Dan Humphrey in my bedroom." Her face paled, and he could see the shame and guilt she felt, in her expression. He swallowed. "Besides, there's nothing to end. You made sure of that."

She grabbed his arm. "Please, Chuck, just listen-"

"No, _you_ listen. All I've wanted these past few months, is for you to be happy. But now I'm making _my_ happiness a priority. I'm trying to make myself a better man, and this constant back and forth isn't helping me." He gently removed her hand from his arm. "Just remember this, Blair. That last man you thought was good for you, ended up trapping you in a marriage you didn't want. So, if I was you, I wouldn't be so trusting of your judge of character."

His words were a slap in the face. She wanted to be insulted, but she knew he had a point.

She turned away from him, and he walked away. She looked out at all the people gathered in Lily's living room. Her eyes searched the room until she found Dan, talking to Rufus on the couch.

Chuck had to be wrong about Dan. After everything they'd been through together, and all the support he'd given her, there was no way she was wrong. He was a good man, she was sure of it.

* * *

><p>Chuck had left the wake soon after his conversation with Blair. He was angry at himself for being so honest with Blair. He had hoped that he would be able to make it through this ordeal, without revealing to Blair just how hurt he was.<p>

He distracted himself by going over some blueprints for the The Charles' new penthouse suite, but looked up at the sound of the elevator opening.

A woman, dressed in a dark blue peacoat, entered his home, an envelope in her hand.

"Charles Bass?"

He stood up. "Yes, and who are you?"

She extended her hand to him. "I'm Estie, Princess Blair's royal minder."

He shook her hand, firmly. "May I ask why you're here?"

She smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile. "I have something that may be of interest to you, Mr. Bass."


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry I've took so long to update. The show is terrible right now, and killed any motivation I had to continue this story, but eventually, I finished this chapter. Enjoy! :)_

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 5<strong>

_aka 5.19_

Nate was throwing a party for Lola, at a bar downtown, in celebration of her birthday. Serena, Chuck, Blair and Dan had all been invited, as Nate wanted to officially introduce them to his girlfriend.

Blair had been in court proceedings all week, after Louis filed for a hasty divorce. To say she was surprised would be an understatement. He refused to speak to her, so there was no way she could get any answers from him. This angered her; she really wanted to know what had made him change his mind.

"How did it go?" Dan asked her, when she entered his loft after another meeting with her lawyer.

"It was fine. I'm so relieved that this whole mess is finally over, but I'm still confused." She sat down on the kitchen stool. "He had been determind to make me pay for what I did to him on our wedding day, and suddenly, he's changed his mind?"

Dan shrugged. "Maybe you should stop worrying about it, and just accept it."

Blair nodded. "You're right. I should be celebrating. And that's why you're coming with me to Lola's party tonight. As my date."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You're _date_?"

"Yes. My date. I'll be a free woman by the end of next week, and nothing I do between now and then will make a huge impact. Louis no longer cares about what I'm getting up to, so I can do whatever I want." She took his hand in hers. "And what I _want_, is for us to make our debut as a couple."

"Are you sure about this?"

She smiled. "Positive."

* * *

><p>Dan had been watching Chuck from the corner of the room, since he had arrived at the party. Blair was talking to some people she knew from Columbia, and Chuck hadn't taken his eyes off of her.<p>

When Blair had told him about Louis' filing for divorce, he knew, almost immediately, that Chuck had something to do with it. Call it a gut instinct, but something didn't add up, and the only person he knew who was capable of manipulating royalty, was Chuck Bass.

Chuck eventually stopped mooning over Blair, and made his way outside, for a smoke. Dan followed him, determined to get some answers from him.

"Chuck, I need to talk to you."

Chuck sighed and took a drag on his cigarette. "What do you want, Humphrey?"

"Look, I know you have something to do with Blair's divorce. What happened? What have you got on the Grimaldi's, that made Louis file for divorce?"

"That's really none of your business."

"It is my business, when you're meddling with my girlfriend's divorce."

Chuck scoffed. "Girlfriend? Repeat that sentence to yourself, and think hard about what you just said. A married woman is no one's _girlfriend_."

"She may not have that title until she's no longer married, but we're still together. You need to accept that."

"I have accepted it," Chuck insisted. "You make Blair happy, and I knew that she would be even happier if she was no longer trapped in her marriage."

"What did you do? Because I know Louis didn't just change his mind. Something happened to make him do it."

Chuck smirked. "Let's just say, that I was given some pictures of Prince Charming in a rather comprising position, with Blair's minder. I threatened to send them to the tabloids if he didn't divorce Blair."

"Let me guess, there was a high price to pay for those pictures?"

"No price is too high, if it means Blair is happy." He stubbed out his cigarette and straightened his jacket. "I really should get back inside. If you'll excuse me."

Dan leaned back against the wall of the bar, panicked. If Blair found out about this, she'd leave him, he was sure of it. Chuck Bass was already an issue for him where Blair was concerned, but Chuck Bass doing a good deed for her was definitely going to ruin his chances.

He had to come up with something, before Blair found out the truth.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Blair said, as she sat next to Serena at the bar.<p>

She smiled weakly. "Hey."

"You okay?"

Serena shrugged. "I guess. It's been a rough few weeks."

Blair placed her hand over hers. "I know we've had our differences, but I'm here for you, S. I want you to know that."

She smiled. "I appreciate that. And... I'm sorry. Kissing Chuck was a drunken mistake, and it definitely won't be happening again."

"I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have called you that night."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "You did that on purpose?"

Blair blushed, ashamed of herself. "I was trying to make you jealous. I was hurt - that picture made me feel _awful_."

Serena sighed. "Well, now you know how I feel."

Blair nodded. She did. And as she looked at Serena, tired and broken, she knew that pursuing a relationship with Dan was the worst thing she could do right now. She cared about Dan, but Serena was the most important person in her life, and she didn't want to screw it up again, when things were finally getting better.

"I want you to know that nothing happened. I wasn't going to go through with it. I just wanted to hurt you, and I was wrong for doing that to you."

Serena suddenly pulled her into a hug. Blair was shocked, but so happy to be on good terms with her friend again.

"I missed you, B."

"I missed you, too, S."

Serena stood up and smiled. "I'm gonna go find Nate. Call me tomorrow. We should do lunch, and maybe some shopping."

Blair grinned. "Sure. That sounds great."

Left alone at the bar, Blair struggled to decide what to do about Dan. She knew she was going to hurt him, but Serena's happiness was more important to her, and she _needed _to keep her best friend in her life.

She was about to have a very difficult conversation.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Chuck, have you seen Nate?"<p>

"Last time I saw him, he was pulling Lola into the ladies' bathroom. Unsanitary, but what can you do? They're in love."

Serena grimaced. "Are you okay? I saw you earlier, talking to Dan."

"I told him that I blackmailed Louis."

"You what?"

"I had some dirt on Louis, and I used it to get him to divorce Blair."

Serena raised her eyebrows. "That's unorthodox... but actually, kind of sweet."

He laughed. "Yeah, well, she needed to get out of it somehow."

"Does Blair know?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Unless, Humphrey told her, probably not."

"You have to tell her, Chuck. If you don't, I will."

Chuck sighed. "Do what you want, but I won't tell her. Blair and I aren't talking. And I don't intend to speak to her."

Serena watched him walk away, disappointed that he wasn't willing to fight for her. If she spoke to Blair , she could tell her what Chuck had done for her, and perhaps persuade her to talk to him.

Determined to make things right, she pushed through the crowds of people, in search of her best friend.

* * *

><p>Blair approached Dan, nervous about the exchange that was about to occur. "I need to talk to you."<p>

"Me first." He took her hands in his. "I was gonna wait until later, when we were alone, but I need to tell you this, before Chuck tells you first, and you get the wrong idea."

"What are you talking about?"

"I blackmailed Louis."

Blair's eyes widened. "What? How?"

"Chuck had some incriminating photos of him with your minder, and gave them to me; said he didn't want anything more to do with you. So, I spoke to Louis, and threatened to get them published if he didn't agree to file for divorce."

Blair was shocked. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I thought that if I kept it a secret, you wouldn't get mad at me for scheming, after I lectured you about it only weeks ago."

Blair smiled at him. "I'm not mad at you! How could I be at you for getting me out of this mess?" She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you would do something like that for me."

He grinned and took her face into his hands. "I did it because I love you, Blair. You don't have to say anything back, but I want you to know. _I love you_."

Blair couldn't force herself to tell him she loved him, when she knew she didn't. But she certainly had strong feelings for him, that had only intensified when he told her what he had done.

So, without hesitation, in the middle of the crowded bar, Blair kissed him.

* * *

><p>Serena spotted Blair by the couches in the centre of the room. She slid between the groups of people, but stopped short when she saw Dan in front of her. With his hands cupping Blair's face.<p>

She was anticipating the kiss, her eyes glued to the scene, even if she didn't want to see it. What she wasn't anticipating, however, was for Blair to be the one to initiate it.

As Blair pressed her lips against Dan's, Serena knew that their earlier truce was now void. She was now sure in her belief that Chuck was better off without Blair, and so was she.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

_aka, 5.20_

_Good morning, Upper East Siders!_

_What's this? Queen B and Humphrey... kissing... in public? Only a week after she got divorced, and B's already moved on? This girl does not slow down._

_Wonder how B's bestie S feels about this. And what about Chuck Bass, the love of B's life? Maybe they'll find solace in each other's arms, once again._

_I smell a scandal! Stay tuned._

_xoxo, Gossip Girl_

Blair called Serena as soon as she woke up, desperate to reach her before she saw the blast.

"Hello?"

"Hey, S! Are we still on for lunch today?"

Serena sighed into the phone. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Blair panicked. She'd definitely seen it. "What? Why?"

"I saw you kissing him last night. And waking up to that blast this morning, was just the icing on the cake."

She sighed. "S, I'm sorry. I know what I said yesterday, but you don't understand_ why _I did it."

"And I really don't care." Blair tried to cut in, to defend herself, but Serena talked over her. "God, B, what's happened? When did everything get so messed up? You've lost me, you've lost Chuck, your first marriage is already over, and you and Nate don't even talk anymore. All you have left is Dan, because you couldn't stop yourself from taking what you wanted, regardless of who you hurt."

"It's not like that! I don't know if I _really_ want Dan-"

"Oh, my God. Stop! He's the only person you have, and you're still denying your feelings for him. You are unbelievable! If I was you, I'd tried to figure out how I felt about him, and _fast_, because you can't keep playing games with people, and expecting to always come out on top."

Blair didn't know what to say. Was she really playing games with Dan?

"I just hope he was worth losing everything for, B," were Serena's parting words before she hung up on her.

_She hung up on her_. Never, in all their years of friendship, had Serena done that. Sure, she had ended calls with Serena before, but she was a bitch. Serena expected her to do things like that.

When Dorota came in with her breakfast, she pretended to be asleep, not ready to face the world just yet. If she slept for long enough, everything might just blow over. It was wishful thinking, but it was all she had.

* * *

><p>Chuck had the day off. For the first time, in almost a year, there was no work to be done. Even during the summer, he had to check in with Bass Industries to make sure everything was going smoothly. But today, there was nothing to be done.<p>

He hated it.

He was constantly thinking about Blair, and Dan, and Blair and Dan together. He was happy to see that Blair was finally moving on with her life, and putting her wedding behind her. He just wished that she was moving on with him.

He leaned his head back on the sofa, sighing heavily. He contemplated calling Serena, but when he thought about it, if he was going to wallow in self-pity, he wanted to do it in privacy. And God knows, that if she came over, they would only end up talking about Blair and Dan, and that wouldn't be good for anybody.

When he phone rang, he sat up quickly, and welcomed the distraction. That was until he saw the caller ID. _Jack_.

"What do you want?"

Jack laughed. "No need to be so hostile, nephew. I was just calling to find out how you are. It's been months since the crash; I assume you're fully recovered."

Chuck pinched the bridge of his nose. "Physically, yes."

"Let me guess, more drama with Waldorf? Or is it still Grimaldi? Oh, wait, no. It's Humphrey."

"Can you stop? Just tell me what you want."

"As I said, I was calling to check up on you. A blood transfusion is pretty serious. I don't want my nephew getting sick now, do I?"

Chuck was pretty sure that he couldn't care less, but what Jack had said intruiged him.

"Blood tansfusion? What blood transfusion?"

"It was my gift to you, when you were in the hospital."

"Nobody told me I had a transfusion. And they also forget to mention that you were playing nurse, at my bedside."

Jack chuckled. "Please. As if I would donate my blood to you. I love myself too much, to literally extract something from myself, just to save your life. No, somebody else gave you the blood."

Chuck frowned. "But you're my only living relative. Who gave me the blood?

Jack sighed into the phone. "Look, Chuck, we shouldn't really do this over the phone. How about I stop by the Empire tomorrow? I'm in Connecticut right now, so I could be there by noon."

Chuck was reluctant to let him into his home. He always caused damage, and if Jack's vagueness was anything to go by, whatever he had to tell him was serious, which meant the fallout would only be bigger. On the other hand, Jack had piqued his interest, and now that he knew about his transfusion, he wanted to know the details.

"Sure, that's fine," he agreed.

He was sufficiently distracted for the rest of the day, but he wasn't sure if this new information made him feel any better.

* * *

><p>After spending an entire day in bed, feeling sorry for herself, Blair had woken up feeling refreshed and stronger than ever. Her resolve had hardened, and she was not going to allow Serena to make her feel any guiltier than she already did.<p>

She was Blair Waldorf, she would do as she pleased. Serena would get over it, eventually.

She arrived at Dan's loft in her Burberry trench coat, and her red Agent Provocateur lingerie. Dan looked surprised to see her when he opened the door, but welcomed her in, nonetheless.

"What are you doing here?"

She opened up her coat and smirked at him. "I thought we could spend our afternoon getting to know each other better."

He gulped. "I'm pretty sure we know enough."

She pouted and ran her hands along his chest. "Oh, come on, Humphrey. We've been tip-toeing around this for weeks. You know you want it, as much as I do."

He breathed in deeply, trying - and failing - to act like he wasn't intimidated.

"What are you scared of, Humphrey?"

The words tumbled from his mouth before he could stop them. "I don't think I'll be good enough."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes and pressed her lips softly against his. "Well then, let's do this, and I can find out for myself."

He crashed his lips to hers, his hands pushing the coat off of her shoulders, her hands interlocking around his neck.

"I can't believe we're doing this," he said, breathily, as she kissed down his neck.

"Well, believe it, Humphrey, because it's happening."

* * *

><p>"Chuck," Jack smirked. "Always a pleasure."<p>

"Wish I could say the same."

"I've brought someone with me; a guest. I'm sure you two have met before."

Chuck frowned, moving to look through the archway to the elevator. "Diana?"

"Hello, Chuck."

He looked to his uncle. "What is she doing here?"

Jack took a seat on the sofa, and rested his feet on the table. "Her son was the one who donated the blood." Chuck looked more confused than ever. "You see, Chuck - he's your brother."

* * *

><p>They had made their way into Dan's bedroom. His shirt was off, as was his belt. Blair had kicked off her heels in the living room, and was attempting to open the fly of Dan's jeans.<p>

He kicked them off before collapsing on the bed, Blair landing on top of him. Dan's hands smoothed over her back, and stopped when he reached the clasp of her bra. He clumsily tried to unclasp it, her fingers fumbling with the tiny hooks.

Blair tried to ignore his less than efficient method of removing her bra, but she had started to panic. Kissing Dan had been good; it had been great. But just the thought of being so exposed to him freaked her out.

It suddenly felt wrong. All of it. His hands didn't feel soft enough against her skin, and his movements were too clumsy for her liking. He wasn't touching her right; he wasn't making her feel tingly, all over, like he should be... Like Chuck did.

She stopped cold at that thought.

"Stop, stop," she mumbled, pushing at his chest. "Just, stop."

He looked up at her, his brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"I can't do this," she said, standing up.

"What? Why?"

"It's just... it's not right. It doesn't feel right."

He grabbed her hand. "Come on, it's our first time together. It's going to be awkward, but we'll work it out. Just come back over here."

Images of Chuck touching her in the back of his limo, the night she lost her virginity, flashed in her mind. She was angry at herself for thinking about him, _again_, but she couldn't deny that during her first time _ever_, she hadn't felt this weird. In fact, it had been amazing. Probably better than most people's first experiences.

Something was definitely wrong here.

"I am so sorry."

She ran to the living room to pick up her shoes and coat.

"Blair! Wait!"

She ran from the loft, coat wrapped tightly around her body, heels in her hand, leaving Dan, shocked and confused, in nothing but his boxers.


	7. Chapter 7

_I've changed the pairing to Chuck/Blair, as I think it means romantic pairing, and B/S are only friends in this story. That doesn't mean that there will be less B/S interaction. Just to let you all know - including the reviewer that asked - this story will finish at 24 chapters, as the season ends at episode 24. So, only 3 to go. :)_

_I think you will all be very happy with the events that unfold in this chapter. It's my favorite so far._

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 7<strong>

_aka 5.21_

"I have to admit, Nathaniel, I'm impressed. How did you book the Plaza on such short notice?" Chuck asked, looking around the room.

"You're not the only one with connections, man."

He smirked and watched his friend lead Lola into the crowd of people. The Spectator was hosting a gala at the Plaza, for a charity Chuck knew nothing about. Lola was always talking about an organization that helped endangered animals, and as Nate needed the publicity, he decided to showcase his company _and_ impress his girlfriend, all in one night.

If he was being honest, he didn't really want to attend the gala. He knew Blair had been invited, and that she was bringing Humphrey, and he wanted to avoid them at all costs. But Nate was his best friend, and he was going to show his support.

He spotted Serena at the bar, and made his way over to her. He needed a drink, and Serena looked like she needed some company.

"Good evening, sis."

She smiled weakly at him. "Hey, Chuck."

He ordered a scotch on the rocks and turned on his bar stool towards her. "Bad day?"

She sighed. "Bad week. I still haven't spoken to Blair."

"And do you want to talk to her?"

"I want things to go back to the way they used to be," she admitted.

"That's never going to happen," he argued. "Too much has changed."

"Whatever," she said, dismissively. "What's up with you, anyway? Have you made a decision about Joshua?"

He exhaled through his nose, already frustrated with the conversation. Why was she bringing this up again?

"I don't even know the kid, Serena. Why would I want to see him?"

"Because he's your half-brother, and he saved your life."

She made a valid point, but he was choosing to ignore it. No mother wanted Chuck Bass hanging around their child, and he was sure Diana was no exception. She hadn't seemed thrilled about the idea of Chuck spending time with her son, but she had insisted that she wanted them to get to know each other.

He knew his curiosity would get the best of him eventually, but tonight, he wanted to forget all about Jack and Joshua. He was here to celebrate his friend's success in the world of business, not dwell on his personal issues.

"Great," he heard Serena mutter, and he followed her line of sight.

Blair and Dan had entered the room, her arm looped through his. Dan looked uncomfortable in his suit, his long hair greasy with hair product, and his shoes unpolished. Blair looked perfect, as per usual, wearing a backless red gown; it was his favorite color on her, and she was fully aware of that.

He knew it was a long shot, but Blair very rarely did anything without purpose, and he had to wonder if she was doing this to tease him. She knew that the Chuck hated having what he wanted, but couldn't have, flaunted in front of him and thrown in his face, and as they were no longer on speaking terms, he wouldn't be surprised if she was trying to get revenge using her own, unorthodox methods.

Chuck needed a distraction.

He gulped down the rest of his scotch and left Serena at the bar, to find Lily. He couldn't risk a run-in with Blair tonight.

* * *

><p>Things hadn't been great between Blair and Dan since she panicked and fled from his loft, last week. He never brought it up, but she knew he had questions. How could he not? She had ran from him, with no explanation as to why.<p>

While she still enjoyed his company, there was now something uneasy about the time they spent together. He walked on eggshells round her, and she felt uncomfortable whenever he got too close.

As an attempt to lighten the mood, Dan offered his hand and pulled her onto the dancefloor. She linked her fingers behind his neck and moved closer to him, but still left some distance between them. He was tentative as he moved his hands to her waist, and she hated it. They shouldn't be like this around each other. There relationship was supposed to be simple, and easy-going. Right now, it was anything but, and it was all her fault.

Her eyes searched the room, unconciously looking for one person in particular, but he was nowhere to be found.

Her gaze shifted to the bar. Sat on a stool was Serena, martini in hand, and her eyes narrowed as stared back at Blair. She quickly looked away, wanting to avoid conflict. She didn't want to fight with her this evening.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she lied, pulling out of Dan's embrace. She needed some time alone.

Blair made a detour past the bathroom and into one of the private rooms, near the entrance. She was surprised to find that she had entered the room that she and Chuck had... _occupied_, the night of her engagement party. She was even more surprised to find Chuck sat on the couch at the end of the room.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'll leave," she insisted, backing out of the room.

"Blair, wait!"

She looked him, expectantly. "What are you doing in here?"

"I could ask you the same question."

He shrugged. "I'm not in a partying mood."

"Neither am I."

He looked apprehensive as he said, "Well, I'm not going to force you to go back out there. You can stay in here with me, if you want."

She nodded and offered him a small smile, taking a seat next to him on the couch. He sighed heavily, before his husky voice filled the silent room.

"I wanted to apologize," he began. "I haven't handled this situation well, and I've been ignoring you. I want to become a better man, and that means I have to be mature, so... I'm sorry."

"You _are _a better man, Chuck," she interrupted. "And it's understandable. I've been awful to you recently. I haven't considered your feelings at all."

He stared at the floor and said nothing. She slowly reached for his hand and held it in hers.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice low.

He raised his head and turned to her. His eyes flickered between hers, looking for something. She wasn't sure what he was hoping to find, but she knew that she wanted to take away the sadness she saw in his.

She leaned towards him, their lips inches away.

"Blair," he whispered.

"Do you remember the last time we were in here?" she asked. He nodded. "I was so sure that we had conceieved a baby in this very room." He closed his eyes at the mention of her unborn child. "I wanted it to be yours so badly. I wanted to build a life with you."

His fingers gripped onto hers and she moved even closer. "After everything that's happened, I _still_ want to build a life with you, Chuck. And I know you want it, too."

Not wanting to waste another second, she pressed her lips against his, the hand that wasn't holding his, reaching up to cup his face. He kissed her back, his lips forceful against hers, his hand in her hair. He hadn't felt this alive in so long.

He was lost in the moment, in the sensation, in _Blair_.

"I've missed you so much," she breathed, as he kissed along her jaw, her hands pulling at his hair.

Her voice was like a switch, turning everything off, shutting it down. He quickly pulled himself away from her, breathing hard.

"We can't do this."

Her eyes darkened, with anger. "Why not?" she snapped, frustrated.

"You're with Dan. You love him-"

"I don't _love _Dan," she argued.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "But you still have feelings for him, and he's still your boyfrend. I'm sorry, but I don't want to be your second choice."

She swallowed hard and looked away from him. "Fine." She stood up and ran her fingers through her hair. "I should get back out there, with the people who actually want to be with me."

He wanted to stop her, to drag her back to the sofa and have his way with her, but he knew he couldn't. It wasn't right; not like this.

Blair rushed to the bathroom to fix her make-up and compose herself. She wanted to be ashamed, but her guilt and shame was overshadowed by her actions. It had been so easy for Chuck to push her away. Did he no longer care about her?

* * *

><p>Serena followed Blair into the ladies room, prepared for a confrontation. She knew this was neither the time, nor place, but seeing her and Dan so happy together was pissing her off. She had to know the truth; had to know about what Chuck had done for her.<p>

"Blair, I need to talk to you," she said, invading Blair's personal space.

Blair sighed and put down her lipstick. "Serena, I'm really not in the mood to fight. Can't you tell me some other time?"

"No," she insisted. "This is important. And if Dan isn't going to tell you, then I will."

She frowned. "If Dan isn't going to tell me what?"

"Chuck blackmailed Louis into filing for divorce."

Blair's mouth dropped open in shock, but she quickly composed herself, and shook her head.

"No, that's not true. I don't know what lies Chuck has been feeding you, but Dan was the one who blackmailed Louis." Her expression hardened. "Chuck had possession of those photographs and he refused to do anything with them, because he doesn't care anymore. Dan just did the job that he couldn't."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Blair! Do you really think Chuck would turn down the chance to blackmail someone? _Especially_ if they're royalty. That's like a scheme come true for him. And if you really believe that Chuck no longer cares about you, then you're more delusional than I thought."

Blair's wouldn't believe it; she couldn't. Her eyes filled with tears. "You're wrong, Serena. Dan wouldn't do that to me."

Serena sighed. "You know, just as much as I do, that Dan is capable of lying like a born-and-bred Upper East Sider. And he'll do anything to stop you from running back to Chuck."

"No, Dan's a good person," she argued. "You're just jealous, and you want to hurt me," she added, nastily.

"Blair, _wake up_! You're life isn't a fairytale, and it isn't a romantic comedy, either. This isn't a love story where the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, falls for the girl who has everything, and they live happily ever after." Serena couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. She wondered how long she'd been entertaining these thoughts; probably since the night Louis had proposed to Blair, if she really thought about it. "You and Chuck were _real_. It wasn't perfect, but relationships aren't supposed to be. That's not how life works."

"Stop, Serena. You can't do this. You can't ignore me for weeks, and then start lecturing me," Blair snapped, wiping away the tears on her cheeks.

"I'm not lecturing you, I'm telling you what you need to hear. Everyone has put up with your delusions, and participated in your charade for too long, especially Dan." She took Blair's hands in hers, and looked directly into her eyes. "You need to stop wasting time, and realize that Dan is not the guy for you. The person you _are _meant to be with is standing out there, trying and failing to fix his broken heart." She squeezed her hands. "Go fix it for him."

Blair sniffled. "Promise me that you're not lying."

"I promise."

Blair took a deep breath and smoothed out her dress. She checked her reflection in the mirror, and then looked up at Serena.

"Thank you."

Serena nodded and offered her a tiny smile. There friendship wasn't mended, but it was getting there.

Blair had straightened up and was fully prepared to go out there, and tell Dan exactly what she thought of him, when Georgina emerged from a bathroom stall.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Eavesdropping," she admitted. "And I think now is the perfect time to drop in with some information that could be of value to you."

Serena frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Dan sent in the video to Gossip Girl, on your wedding day," Georgina said, a sardonic smile on her face. "And I know this, because I took over Gossip Girl after your accident."

"Oh, my God," Serena murmured in disbelief.

_Dan_ sent in the video? _Georgina_ was Gossip Girl?

"I'm going to kill Dan Humphrey!" Blair shouted, marching out of the bathroom, in search of her soon to be ex-boyfriend.

"Looks like my work here is done." Georgina grinned. "Bye, S."

Serena blinked. "Yeah... Bye."

* * *

><p>Dan felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find a furious Blair Waldorf, glaring at him. He had no time to react as Blair's hand swung out, and slapped him across his cheek.<p>

"That's for lying to me about my divorce," she shouted, ignoring the stares from the other guests in the room.

"Blair, wait-" Dan tried to stop her, but he was cut off as another slap hit his other cheek.

"And that's for sending the video into Gossip Girl on my wedding day." She smoothed her hair back from her face and huffed. "Don't talk to me ever again, Humphrey. Oh, and just to be clear, this thing between us, _never happened_."

She walked away from him, not bothering to look back to see if he was following her. Her hands were shaking with anger and she needed a vodka martini to calm her down.

* * *

><p>She paused as she approached the bar, debating whether or not to take a seat next to Chuck.<p>

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

The sound of her voice startled Chuck, but he nodded, and gestured for her to sit down.

She settled onto the stool and ordered her drink. Her fingers drummed along the surface as the bar as she tried to come up with something to say.

"That was quite a show," Chuck commented, smirking at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Please don't. I already feel like an idiot. There's no need to rub salt into my wounds."

He laughed. "Who am I to judge, after the stunts I've pulled?

She smiled at him and sipped her drink. "I don't know what I've been doing with myself, for the past year. I'm a mess."

"Hey," he said, softly. "You're not a mess; you're Blair Waldorf. You've been through a lot. You're allowed to make some mistakes."

"I just never thought that one of my mistakes would be _Dan Humphrey_." They both laughed. "You know, even though it was a _very_ short relationship, it stills hurts, because above all else, Dan was supposed to be my _friend. _I can't believe he would do something like this."

"I can," Chuck cut in. "As a man who has been in love with you for five years, I understand Dan's desperate need to keep you by his side."

Blair throat burned as she tried not to cry. She could feel the sob tearing through her throat, but she forced it back. She couldn't break down in front of him.

"I am _so _sorry for how I've treated you... and for what happened earlier."

"It's fine. I deserved it. I was horrible to you for four years, and I couldn't handle it when you gave me a taste of my own medicine."

"Chuck, I know we've had a lot issues, but it wasn't all bad. In fact, before the end of our relationship, I was incredibly happy. Probably the happiest I've ever been." She ran her finger around the edge of her martini glass. "I need to think about something else for a while," she said. "What's new with you?"

He pursed lips, unsure if he should tell her, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from blurting out, "I have a brother."

Blair gasped. "What? How... How is that possible?" she asked, her voice a few octaves higher than it normally was.

"Remember Diana Payne?" Blair nodded. "She had an affair with Bart, and ended it abruptly ten years ago. Nobody knew why, except Jack, who searched for her, and found her in California, with her nine year-old son. A son she conceieved with Bart."

Blair was in shock. This was... huge.

"Have you met him?"

Chuck shook his head. "No. Diana wants to arrange something, wants us to sit down and get to know each other. I'm not sure if it's a good idea."

"Chuck," Blair snapped. "You have to meet him! This means that you have a relative, that isn't Jack Bass. Why wouldn't you want to see him?"

"I don't think I'll be a good influence," he admitted. "I'd corrupt him."

"Five years ago, I would have agreed with you," she said. "But that's true, anymore. This could be a _great_ thing."

He let out a shaky breath. "I'm scared," he admitted. "What if he hates me? Everyone else who has ever been important to me... they always end up hating me."

She grabbed his face in her hands, forced him to look at her. "That is not true, and you know it. Lily loves you, Serena loves you, Nate _definitely_ loves you; why else would he have stuck around for seventeen years?" That got a laugh out of him. She braced herself before saying her next words. "And you know _I _love you. I always will."

He closed his eyes and smiled. She still loved him. He didn't know if she was _in_ love with him, but he'd take what he could get.

She took his hands in hers and rubbed his skin with her thumb. "If you need some support, I'd be willing to come with you."

His eyes shot open. "You would?"

She nodded. "I would."

He swallowed. "As my friend, right?"

"Yes," she agreed. "As your friend." The words left a bitter taste in her mouth.

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."


	8. Chapter 8

_For the sake of simpler storytelling, Dorota is not pregnant. _

_A lot happens in this chapter, and Blair is slowly redeeming herself. There will be more Joshua next chapter. I hope you like it! Please review, and let me know what you think._

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 8<strong>

_aka 5.22_

Serena entered her mother's penthouse, a latte in hand. It had been a week since the Spectator gala, and in that time, Serena had had two lunch dates with Blair. They mostly spoke about Chuck's brother, and how he was handling the situation, because they both wanted to avoid the topic of Dan. It was still awkward, but they were slowly making progress.

As she placed her jacket over the couch, she spotted Dan, sat at the kitchen table. His laptop was open in front of him, and he looked frustrated.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, not politely.

He sighed, heavily. "I came over to see my dad, and now I'm working on my book. What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm here to see my mom."

"Well, she isn't here."

Silence stretched out between them. Serena crossed her arms over her chest, and Dan stared at the floor.

"You clearly have something to say to me," he muttered, "so just say it."

"I was the one who told Blair that you lied about the divorce."

His head snapped up and he glared at her. "What? Why would you do that?"

She frowned. "Why _wouldn't _I do that?"

"You're supposed to be her best friend, Serena. Why would you hurt her like that?"

She scoffed. "Why would _I _hurt her? You _lied_, Dan. You said you loved her and then you built a relationship around lies. I won't be made to feel guilty because I told her the truth."

"You should have stayed out of it," he argued, his voice rising.

"She's my best friend!" she yelled. "If someone is hurting her, I'm going to do something about it."

"You had no right to say anything."

Serena cocked an eyebrow. "But you had every right to send in the video to Gossip Girl, on her wedding day?" He gulped. "That's what I thought. What the hell happened to you? This isn't the Dan Humphrey I fell in love with, four years ago."

"People change, Serena. They grow up."

She laughed, humorlessly. "You call this growing up? Living out the fantasies in your published melodrama? Lying and betraying everyone around you, in your attempt to conquer Chuck Bass."

He narrowed his eyes. "What's Chuck got to do with it?"

"Everything," she snapped. "You've always hated him, and everything he stood for. He took your little sister's virginity; paid no attention to you in high school; made Blair love him in a way she could never love you."

"She doesn't love him anymore," he retorted, because he couldn't argue with any of her other points.

Serena smiled, unkindly. "If you believe that, then you're crazy. Actually, I'm almost convinced that you _are_ clinically insane. Why else would you try and mess with what they have?"

"I don't want to talk about Blair and Chuck," he bit out.

"Good. Neither do I," she agreed. "In fact, I don't want to talk to you at all. All this time, you knew how I felt about you, but you still pursued my best friend, and then screwed her over. You owe a lot of apologies, to a lot of people." She hastily threw on her jacket. "Tell my mom I stopped by."

She walked away with her head held high.

Dan leaned back in his seat, thinking about what Serena had said. Had he unconciously tried to hurt Chuck, in his pursuit of Blair? Maybe. Probably. But he couldn't dwell on that. Serena was right; he needed to apologize. And if Blair saw how sorry he was, she might just give him another chance.

* * *

><p>Chuck's knee bounced as he impatiently waited, in his living room. Blair placed a hand on his leg, stilling his movements.<p>

"Don't be so nervous."

"That's easy for you to say," he snapped.

"_Chuck_," she said. "You're going to get through this."

He sighed and rubbed a hand along his neck. "He's going to hate me, I know it."

She rubbed a hand along his back, soothingly. "Don't be stupid. He's going to love you. You're the disgustingly rich older brother, every nine year-old boy wishes he had. You can _literally_ buy him whatever his heart desires."

He smiled, lightly. "I guess you're right."

"Of course, I am, Bass."

They elevator opened and they both stood up. Chuck was incredibly tense, so Blair took his hand in hers. She wanted him to know that she was there for him, no matter what.

"Hello, Chuck," Diana said, smiling.

"Hello."

Jack followed her, hand-in-hand with a dark-haired boy. The sight of him with a child was strange, but Chuck was too focused on the boy to contemplate the absurdity of the situation.

He looked just like he had - in pictures he had seen of himself - at that age. Dark hair, dark eyes - always shining with mischief. Of course, unlike Chuck at that age, Joshua wasn't wearing a custom-made three-piece suit.

Blair was also shocked by the resemblence; it was surreal. The Bass genes were clearly very strong. She had no doubt that he would grow up to be as handsome as his brother.

Looking at the boy, she had to wonder if - in the future - Chuck's children would look just like him, and whether _she _would ever be the mother to a minature Chuck Bass. One can only dream.

Diana pushed her son forward. "Say 'hi', Joshua."

"Hi," he said, smiling. He was missing a front tooth.

"Hey," Chuck replied, getting down to his level. "I'm Chuck."

He stretched out his hand and Josh shook it, grinning. "I'm Josh."

"It's very nice to meet you, Josh."

"You're my brother, right?" he asked, cutting to the chase.

"I am," Chuck answered, nodding.

"Who's she?" he asked, looking up at Blair.

Blair smiled, sweetly. "I'm Blair," she responded.

"Are you his girlfriend?"

Blair was shocked; this kid didn't mess around. His blunt, direct approach was enough to convince her that he and Chuck were drawn from the same gene pool.

"Uh, no. I'm just his friend."

He turned back to Chuck, unsatisfied with this answer. "She's pretty. You should make her your girlfriend."

Chuck laughed. "I'm working on it." He winked.

Blair's stomach flipped at his admission. Did he really want her back? She didn't want to get her hopes up; he may have just been telling Josh, what he thought he wanted to hear. But maybe, just maybe, he really was _working on it_.

"Uncle Jack said that New York is the best place ever," Josh said, changing the subject. "He said that I could go to the zoo."

"Your uncle is very right, and the zoo is great. When are you going? Maybe I could go with you?" Chuck suggested.

The boy and his brother fell into a conversation about the Central Park zoo, and all the animals they would see there. Blair couldn't believe how quickly Chuck had taken to Josh. He had zero experience with children, but he was perfectly at ease, talking to his half-brother.

Blair looked up at Diana and Jack, and saw that they were both smiling. Diana looked delighted, her eyes trained on her son. Jack seemed genuinely happy. It surprised Blair - because he had always been so open about his hatred for Chuck - but it was clear that his younger nephew had softened him, considerably.

The boy had captured Chuck's attention, and he had no concern for anything, or anyone else, in the room. In fact, he was so captivated by Josh and his babbling about the zoo, that he jumped when he felt Blair's hand touch his shoulder.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving."

"Already?" he asked, disappointed.

"You don't need me here. You're doing great." She smiled, softly. "Call me later."

He closed his eyes as she pressed her lips to his cheek, but quickly regained his focus, and turned back to Joshua. Blair left the Empire feeling significantly lighter, than when she had entered the building.

* * *

><p>Dan tapped his foot on the floor as he waited for Blair. Dorota had refused to tell him where she was, more than likely under Blair's instruction. He wanted to know what she was hiding.<p>

"Dan? What are you doing here?" she asked as she stepped into the foyer.

He stood up, rubbing his sweaty palms across his jeans. "Waiting for you. Where have you been?"

She raised an eyebrow. "That's not really any of your concern."

Dan sighed, but didn't ask any more questions. "We need to talk, Blair."

"I have nothing to say to you," Blair said, dismissively.

"I need to apologize, for everything I've done," he insisted. "Please just listen to me."

She folded her arms across her chest, her lips pursed. "I thought I made myself clear; whatever happened between us, is over. It was stupid to believe that we could have worked, and now that it's done, I'm putting it behind me."

"You can't brush it aside, like it was nothing!" he yelled.

"It was nothing!" she shouted back. "I was in a bad place - I still am - and you took advantage of that. You acted like some knight in thrift-store plaid, and manipulated me."

"Blair, it wasn't like that. I was just afraid of losing you. Chuck was-"

Blair cut him off. "This has nothing to do with Chuck. This was a result of _our_ selfishness. He had no part of it." She rubbed her temples. "I have a headache. I think you should leave."

"I'm not going anywhere." He attempted to take her hands in his, but she pulled them away. "You were falling in love with me, Blair. Remember that."

She shook her head. "No, Dan, I wasn't. I was turning to the man who supported my ridiculous choices, when he should have been pushing me to face my issues, head on. I thought you were there to save me from myself - from the mess my life had become - but I was wrong."

"That's not true. I stood by you. I _tried_ to save you."

"But I didn't need saving," she snapped. "Your White Knight complex is out of hand, Dan. You romanticized our relationship; saw us as Claire and Dylan, not Dan and Blair. But I'm not the girl you wrote about! The girl in your book is everything you _want _me to be."

Dan frowned, confused. "You're wrong. I know you're not Claire, you're just the inspiration. My book is fiction, and so is the character. But you are reality. You're _my_ reality."

She glared at Dan. "I'm not your _anything._I was _supposed_ to be your friend, and you were supposed to be there for me, but you lied! You supported my horrible decisions, and didn't call me out on any of my mistakes. Friends are _meant _to tell you when you're being crazy!"

"I was trying to be there for you," he argued.

"No, you were trying to isolate me," she retorted. "You went along with my crazy pact with God, because it meant that Chuck was out of the picture, and you pursued me, with no consideration for Serena's feelings, or how it would affect our friendship."

"Hey!" he protested. "I wasn't the only one who hurt Serena."

"I know that," she admitted, tearing up. "And it kills me to know that I've hurt her so much, because I couldn't deal with my issues. But you didn't think about her once, Dan, and that is so wrong. She loves you! And in case you've forgotten, you used to love her, too."

"I can't believe that you're turning your back on us because of Serena. Is she _really_ worth it?"

Her hand came out and slapped him across the face, before she really had time to think about it.

"You disgust me," she hissed. "Serena loves you; Chuck considered you his friend; I thought I could depend upon you. But it seems that while Chuck has become a better man, you've become an egotistical, selfish pig. I must have temporarily lost my mind, if I ever believed that I could be with you." He held his stinging cheek, hurt flashing across his face at her words. "Come find me when you can admit to your mistakes, and you're ready to be the friend I need you to be. Until then, don't call me, don't text me, and don't come to my home."

Dan stormed off, his hands visibly shaking with anger. She didn't understand; he had nothing to be angry about. If anyone should be mad, it was her.

She fell against the sofa, and buried her face in her hands. Everything was so messed up, and she wasn't sure if anyone would fully recover from the fallout of her mistakes. All she could do was try and make amends.

* * *

><p>Serena invited Blair to dinner that night. As they waited for their food, she watched Blair draw patterns on the table with her finger. She was trying to distract herself; she obviously had something to get off her chest, but was afraid to say it.<p>

"Spit it out, Blair."

Blair was relieved that Serena had set the ball rolling, as she didn't know how to bring up what she wanted to say.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out.

Serena frowned. "What are you sorry for?"

"Everything I've done," she replied. "I've been a terrible friend, and I've treated you so badly, these past few months. I really screwed up, and I understand if you'll never be able to truly forgive me, but I want you to know that I'm so, so sorry."

Blair was talking too fast, her anxiety evident in her voice.

"Blair, calm down," Serena said, taking her hand in hers. "I accept your apology, and for the record, I've already forgiven you. I'm no angel, and we're all entitled to go a little crazy. Lord knows I did, back in high school. "

"Oh, S! I'm so glad-"

"Wait!" Serena interrupted her. "Wait a second. I need to tell you something before you start making big plans for us."

"Oh." Blair relaxed into her seat. "Okay. What do you need to tell me?"

"I'm moving to Greece."

"What?" Blair shouted, gaining stares from the other people in the restaurant. "But you love New York! This is your home. Why would you ever leave?"

"It's only for six months, and I don't leave until summer," she responded. "I'll be back for Thanksgiving."

"I don't understand why you want to go. Have I really hurt you that much?"

Serena shook her head. "This isn't your fault, B. I've just had a tough year; we _all_ have. Eric's not around much, my grandma died, the only two guys I've ever loved fell for other people. I just want to get away; to escape."

"And you think Europe is the best place to do this?" Blair asked, one eyebrow cocked.

Serena shrugged. "Greece is beautiful, and warm, and Chuck helped me find a great cottage to rent."

Blair looked hurt. "You told Chuck before me?"

"You do _not_ get to lecture me on keeping stuff from you." Blair's looked away, embarassed. Serena decided to change the subject. "Have you spoken to Dan since the gala?"

"I saw him today." Blair's eyes darkened as she thought about their earlier conversation. "There was a lot of yelling. I'd really like to forget about the whole exchange."

"I'm not defending him, because he's probably my least favorite person on the planet, right now." Blair snorted, an unusual, and very un-lady like thing for her to do. "But you can't dismiss him, Blair. You allowed him to be a part of your life, and I think you both need closure."

"Have you been seeing Chuck's shrink? Or reading _Psychotherapy for Dummies_?"

Serena laughed. "No, Blair, just growing up. Some us _have_ actually done that this year."

Blair stayed quiet. During the time they had spent apart, Serena had matured a lot, and had gained some perspective. Her wit had also certainly improved. She was sure that this was Chuck's influence. She had been spending a lot more time with him, recently. _Speaking of..._

"Chuck met Joshua today."

Serena choked on her sparkling water. "_He did_?" Blair nodded. "How do you know this?"

"I was with him," she answered, nonchalantly, sipping at her own drink.

Serena raised her eyebrows."You were with him? How did that happen?"

"He wanted me there, to support him, as his_ friend_."

Serena smirked. "Have you two ever really been friends?"

Blair huffed. "Stop trying to make it something it isn't, S. I may have finally gotten over my fear of being with him, but he's still hesitant about me - with good reason - and I don't want to force anything."

"That's very mature of you, B."

Their appetizers arrived, and Blair continued to inform Serena about what she had witnessed at Chuck's first meeting with his brother. While so much had changed, it still felt normal to be sat at dinner, talking to her best friend. She was glad that they had managed to reach a good place.

When she got home, later that evening, she found that she had six missed calls from Dan. Part of her was determined to ignore him, but when she thought back to her conversation with Serena, she knew it was time for her to grow up, and start handling situations properly.

She called him back, and he answered almost immediately.

"Blair! I'm so glad you called."

"What do you want, Humphrey?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have manipulated you, and I shouldn't have been such a jerk to Serena."

"You're right, you shouldn't have. But have you ever considered, that maybe you're apologizing to the wrong person?" He went quiet. "You broke Serena's heart, and indirectly broke Chuck's. If you owe anyone an apology, it's them."

"I'm not apologizing to Chuck. He's not a good guy, and I don't know why you think he is."

"You didn't think that when you were hanging out at his apartment, drinking scotch and watching _The Matrix_," she snapped. "You pushed him to get help, so you know how much he's changed, you just don't want to believe it. I mean, God forbid, Chuck Bass be a better person than Dan Humphrey!"

It was silent for a few seconds, before Dan finally spoke. "I'll speak to Serena, but I'm not making any promises about Chuck."

"Fine," Blair sighed. "Call me in a few days. Right now, just seeing your face makes me want to throw things, but I do want to try and salvage our friendship. Who else is going to join me on my monthly trip to the Paris Theatre?"

Dan laughed. "You make a good point."

After ending the call, Blair fell back against her bed. Everything was slowly falling into place, the way it should be. She had her best friend back, she and Chuck were making progress, and forming an honest friendship with Dan would be a much appreciated bonus.

It was stupid of her to ever have believed, that she needed to run away to Monaco and marry a prince, in order to find happiness. She had everything she needed right here, in Manhattan.

* * *

><p>Chuck had spent the evening with his uncle, Joshua and Diana. They had dinner at Butter and discussed what Joshua would like to do during his stay in New York. They had made plans to go the zoo tomorrow, and for the first time in a long time, Chuck found himself looking forward to something.<p>

He was so incredibly happy about the bond he already formed with Joshua, that he had to talk to someone, and that someone was Blair. After he had given Diana and Josh a ride to their suite at the Plaza, he directed Arthur to the Waldorf penthouse.

Dorota welcomed him, and informed him that Blair was in her bedroom. When he reached her room, he found her lay across her bed in a nightgown, reading _The Catcher in the Rye._ He knocked on her open door twice, alerting her to his presence.

"Chuck!" She sat up quickly, smoothing the silk of her nightwear. "What are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd stop by." She cocked an eyebrow, sure that there was something he wasn't telling her. "Fine," he sighed. "I had a great day with Joshua and I really wanted to talk to you about it."

She grinned and patted her bed. "Well, then, sit! Tell me about it."

After slipping off his shoes, and taking off his jacket, he positioned himself against her headboard, his feet stretched out in front of him.

"What did you do today?" she asked, resting her head on her hand.

"We walked through Central Park, and we visited the Met. He's really into art; he draws his own comic books, so he was excited about visiting..."

As she listened to Chuck gush about his brother, Blair smiled serenely, losing herself in his happiness. It was contagious. She wondered if on a deeper level, she couldn't help but share what he was feeling, because they were still so attuned to each other. After all the fighting and the drama, they were finally back on the same wave length.

"He's amazing, Blair. He really is."

"I'm so happy for you, Chuck. I really am."

She looked down at her comforter, tracing the embroidered detail with her finger. A tear slipped down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away.

Chuck moved further down the bed, and mirrored her position.

"Hey," he murmured. "Why are you crying?"

She shook her head. "Ignore me; I'm just being stupid."

He pushed her chin up with his fingers. "What's wrong?" he pushed.

"I feel so _awful_," she cried. "All this time, I've been so concerned with my happiness, that I never considered yours. Because you deserve to be happy, Chuck. You do."

He smiled, softly. "I _am_ happy. Well, _happier_. You don't need to worry about me."

"You're wrong," she argued. "I do. You're my... friend," she struggled with the word, "and friends are supposed to worry about each other. I've just been so wrapped up in myself, that I never thought about how you were feeling."

"Shh," he whispered, and wrapped his arm around her waist.

She turned away from him, and lay down, pressing herself against his body. He pulled her tighter against him and sighed, his breath tickling her ear.

"I lost my baby, Chuck," she whispered in the silence.

He wasn't sure where the thought had come from. She had refused to talk about her miscarriage for so long, and he didn't know why she felt like now was the right time to open up, but he wasn't about to stop her. He knew a conversation about her baby was long overdue.

"I know," he whispered back.

"It was a girl. I was going to have a little girl. _We_ were going to have a little girl." He buried his face in her hair and held her tighter. "I tried to forget about her, tried to push it away, but I can't. It's too hard. I was going to be a mother. I was going to have a child. And then it was all taken away from me."

"I'm so sorry, Blair." He didn't know what else to say.

Her body shook as she cried harder, staining her pillow with her tears.

"I already lost my baby; I can't lose you. Not again. Don't leave me, Chuck. Even if we're only friends, promise me that you won't leave me."

"I promise. I'm not going anywhere."

An hour later, Blair's cries finally stopped, and her breathing evened out. Chuck was tempted to leave, not wanting to have an awkward encounter with her in the morning, but thought better of it. He said he wouldn't leave, and he wasn't going to.

Closing his eyes and keeping his arm firmly around Blair's waist, his lips pressed against her shoulder, and whispered, "Goodnight."

That night, they slept more soundly than either of them had in years.


	9. Chapter 9

_Penultimate chapter! It's not my favorite, but it explores the Dan/Serena dynamic, so it's quite important. _

_I'm going to be writing more for GG after I've finished this story, so look out for an AU Georgina/Chuck/Blair love triangle fic, as well as a follow-up to this. It won't really be a story, just bits and pieces from the group, post chapter 24. _

_Before reading this, please remember that Dan was once a good guy! I hate that the writers have screwed him up, so I tried to bring back parts of "season one-Dan"._

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 9<strong>

_aka 5.23_

"Excited about your trip?" Chuck asked, as he poured food into Monkey's bowl.

"I'm _so_ excited!" Serena grinned and kicked her legs like a child, as she sat on the kitchen counter. "I really need this. I need to get away for a while."

"It'll be good for you. What are you going to do while you're there?"

Serena shrugged. "Relax, sight-see, become an amateur photographer. Whatever my heart desires."

He smiled at his sister. He was glad that she was making a positive change in her life. She hadn't had the easiest time, during the past few months.

"Are you sure you don't mind looking after Monkey, while I'm gone?"

She nodded and jumped off the counter.

"It's fine. Go. Have a good time with Joshua." She kissed his cheek and attempted to push him towards the elevator. "Monkey and I are going to have a relaxing day at home, with a good book and some wine."

"You need to take him for his afternoon walk, in twenty minutes, and again at six," Chuck reminded her. "If you walk him any later, you'll mess with his schedule, and he gets irritable."

Serena rolled her eyes. "You sound like a dad leaving their child with a babysitter for the first time."

"Excuse me for being concerned about leaving my dog, in the hands of someone who's never owned a pet."

Serena huffed and shoved him out of the kitchen, trying to send him on his way. "I can look after Monkey for a few hours, Chuck. I'm not stu-"

Serena stopped talking as soon as she saw Dan enter Chuck's living room. _What the hell was he doing here?_

"What the hell are you doing here?" Chuck demanded, reiterating her thoughts.

"I come in peace," Dan insisted, lifting his hands in surrender.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have more important people to see."

Chuck walked towards the elevator, hoping to make a swift exit, but Dan blocked his path.

"Chuck, I need to talk to you - to apologize."

"That's good to know, but I don't care."

"Oh, come on, Chuck. You have to hear me out!"

"No, I really don't," Chuck snapped, eyes narrowed.

"Is this about Blair? Because that's over now," he responded.

"Of course, it's over. Did you really think it was going to last?" Chuck asked, smiling sardonically. "But no, this is not about Blair. This is about _you. _You pretended to be my friend, and then you blamed me for your mistakes. I know this may surprise you, but not everyone is willing to forgive you as quickly as Blair has."

Dan looked down at the floor, hurt. "Blair hasn't really forgiven me. She won't talk to me."

He smirked. "Well, maybe she is returning to the old Blair Waldorf, that we know and love." He stepped into the elevator and turned to his sister. "I'll see you later, Serena. Humphrey," Dan looked up, "I expect you to be out of my hotel, within the hour."

Serena took a seat on the sofa and looked up at Dan. "Do you have something you need to tell me? Because if not, I'd like you to leave."

Dan sat down next to her. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I've been a jerk, and I was so wrapped in trying to help Blair through her problems, that I totally ignored you." His head dropped down as he sighed. "I understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore, but I'd really like it if we could try and be friends."

Serena frowned. "Why do you want to be my friend, Dan? You don't even like me. You made that very clear in your book."

"The book was fictional, Serena. It meant nothing."

"How can you say that?" she yelled. "You wrote that book, based on your experiences. Some of the events in the story actually happened, but you twisted it around to make me look like the villain."

"You weren't the villain, Serena. How can you think that?" Dan argued.

"If _I_ wasn't, then, who was?" she countered. "Nate was irrelevant, Chuck killed himself, and Blair - who you _hated_ in high school - was the perfect female lead. But _me_ - the girl you said you loved - was shallow, and spoilt, and had no consideration for others."

"But that wasn't you, it was Sabrina. I know you're not like that."

"Stop, Dan. Nothing you say, will ever make this okay," she snapped. "I just wish that you would stop trying to defend yourself, and admit that you were wrong for exploiting all of us."

"I'm not apologizing for my book, Serena. I didn't mean for it to be published, but I'm still proud of it."

"_Proud_ of it? Proud of finding fame, at the cost of all your relationships?" Serena laughed. "You're so amusing, Dan. So conceited, and judgemental, and _delusional_." She stood up from the couch and grabbed Monkey's lead from the coffee table. "I'm not in love with you, anymore," she stated. "In fact, I'm not sure I actually was, because the Dan I loved in high school is no longer around. I guess I was just hoping that you'd become that guy again."

"Serena, please. Are you _ever_ going to forgive me?" Dan asked, desperately.

"Honestly," she began," I don't know. If I ever do, I'll let you know. But right now, I have to take Monkey for his walk, so you need to go."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I really am sorry, Serena."

"Just go, Dan."

His shoulders were slumped in defeat as he stepped into the elevator. He wasn't sure if he was capable of fixing this.

* * *

><p>After spending the day in the adventure playground in Central Park, Diana had agreed to let Chuck take Joshua out for dinner, so that they could spend some time together, alone.<p>

Chuck had decided to take him downtown, to Ninja New York. He knew he would enjoy the ninja wait staff, and Chuck loved the food, so it was a win-win.

On his way out of Central Park, he spotted Blair across the street, having just left her building. He didn't know if he should call her over; they hadn't seen each other since the night they spent together at her house last week. They had exchanged calls and texts, but seeing each other would be different.

Joshua made the decision for him.

"Hey, it's that girl you know," he said, tugging on Chuck's sleeve. "Blair!" he shouted.

His voice startled Blair, but when she turned and saw them, a huge smile broke out across her face. She quickly crossed the street and came to stand in front of them.

"Hey, Joshua," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm okay." He smiled. "I've been to the playground in the Park. It was really fun! We're going to eat now, and Chuck said we're going to see some ninjas! It's going to be really cool."

Blair laughed at his excitment, and looked to the older brother. "Are you taking him to Ninja New York?"

He nodded. "If you have no plans for dinner, you could always come with us."

She smiled. Usually, she wouldn't be caught dead in that place, but she wasn't going to pass up the chance to spend more time with Chuck.

"Sure. I'd like that."

As they sat in the car, Joshua happily chatted to Blair about his week with Chuck. They had visited every landmark in the city, over the past seven days, and had even gone to the Hamptons, to go to the beach. It had been exhausting, but Chuck wasn't complaining.

"I have to go home on Sunday, but I really don't want to leave," Josh told Blair, as he sat next to her.

"Your mom said you can come back whenever you want," Chuck reminded him. "You can fly in on my company jet."

"You have a jet?" Joshua's eyes went wide. "Wow. Can you fly it, Chuck?"

Chuck laughed. "No, I can't. I have to pay somebody to fly it for me."

"I'm going to learn to fly planes, one day," Joshua informed him. "I want to be a pilot."

"That's a very exciting job," Blair replied. "You'll get to travel all over the world."

"I know! I'm going to fly to Paris," Josh said. "I've never been, but my mom loves it. And I want to climb the Eiffel Tower, so I _have_ to go."

"My dad lives in Paris. He owns a house near the Eiffel Tower."

"He's lucky!" Josh stated. "If I had a dad who lived in Paris, I'd visit him all the time."

Both he and Chuck suddenly went quiet, at the mention of their father, and Joshua started twisting the buttons of his coat. Blair frowned and ran her hand along his hair, soothingly.

"Hey, what's wrong, sweetie?"

He shrugged. "You have a dad, but I don't. It's not fair."

"It's okay," Chuck said, softly, rubbing his hand along Joshua's arm. "I don't have a dad, either, but it doesn't matter. You have a mom, and an uncle... and you have me. And I know that if our dad was here now, he would have loved you."

Blair teared up as she watched Chuck comfort his brother. Despite him being more open with her, she had rarely seen this side of him when they were dating, and it still shocked her when he let his guard down in front of her. If she'd ever had any doubts Chuck's ability to sustain a good relationship with Joshua, they went out the window as soon as she saw Josh curl into Chuck's side.

Their eyes met across the seat, and they both smiled. She liked it when he smiled like this; soft, small, and sincere. He saved those kinds of smiles for the people he really cared about, and she loved that she was one of those people.

Back in high school - when they played games, and couldn't be honest with each other - Blair stomach had always flipped whenever Chuck had sent one of his soft smiles her way. As she recalled that feeling, in the back of Chuck's limo - where it all began - three years later, she realized that hadn't changed.

* * *

><p>Serena was watching <em>Dexter<em> on Chuck's DVR, when a bellhop entered the suite.

"Miss. Van der Woodsen?" She looked up at him. "I have a letter for you. It was given to me by Daniel Humphrey."

Serena took it from him, frowning at the brown envelope. She had no clue as to what was inside. Intruiged, she tore open the envelope and removed the contents.

It was a small stack of papers, with a top sheet. On the top sheet, there was a hand-written message. She recognized it as Dan's sloppy scrawl.

_Serena, _

_If I had told the whole truth about my feelings for you in my book, I wouldn't have been able to create drama. I'm sorry for the hurt that I - and my writing - have caused you, but I want you to know that I really did love you. You were probably the best thing that ever happened to me. You allowed me into your world, Serena, and for that, I will always be grateful. _

_- Dan_

_P.S. I wrote this chapter before I wrote Inside. If you read it, please remember that._

Serena removed the top sheet and stared down at manuscript in her hands: Untitled.

It was only the first chapter - she was pretty sure he had never written this story in it's entirity - but she wanted to read it, anyway.

_As he watched the statuesque blonde walk through Grand Central, he wondered how somebody came to be that confident. She was a product of expensive schooling and rich parent - so he was sure that had something to do with it - but there was something very strong about her. _

_She held her head high, and demanded the attention of the room. Even in the busy train station - packed with commuters, New Yorkers, tourists - she still turned heads. And it wasn't just because she was tall, and blonde, and beautiful; every man's ideal. He couldn't pinpoint it, but he knew that he, too, had succomed to the powers of Sabrina._

_Maybe it was his knowledge of her wild ways that intruiged him so much. Everyone loved a devil in disguise, and she appeared so angelic, that it was hard to believe that she partied so hard. Maybe it was his instinctual need to aim for things way out his league, and let's be honest, if she was playing in the major, he wasn't even going to qualify for the minor._

_Whatever it was about her, he no longer cared. He was so sure in his belief that he could be the right guy for her, that he didn't want to analyse his unrequited feelings._

_At the age of sixteen, she was his perfect, unattainable goal, and he definitely wasn't prepared for when she became, not only attainable, but everything he never knew he needed._

Tears slipped down her cheeks as she finished reading the first page. She hadn't been prepared for how his writing was going to make her feel. She knew that he had written about the day she returned to Manhattan, from boarding school. She had been a nervous wreck, intimidated by the prospect of having to face her best friend's wrath, and the guy who she possibly loved.

Even when she was broken - at her lowest - he put her on a pedestal, and she would be eternally grateful to Dan, for showing her what it was like to be loved. Before him, she had always been the mistress, never the girlfriend. He had believed in her; he had changed that.

She was still mad at him, but as she settled onto the sofa to read the rest of the chapter, she knew that she was closer to forgiving him, than she had been only hours ago.

* * *

><p>"That was the best ever!" Joshua shouted as he karate-chopped the air.<p>

Blair and Chuck laughed at the nine year-old, who was very hyperactive, after they had finished dinner.

"Am I staying with you tonight, Chuck?"

Chuck shook his head. "Your mom is coming to pick you up. She wants you to stay with her." Joshua's face fall, and his bottom lip stuck out. "You can stay with me the next time you visit. We'll order some chinese, and I'll show you some Bruce Lee movies."

"Cool!" he shouted, grinning. "Wait," he said, frowning. "Who's Bruce Lee?"

"He was kind of like a real ninja," Blair replied. "He could do martial arts, and he was really fast, and strong."

"Did he wear a black costume, and hide in walls?"

Blair laughed and shook her head. "No, but he did fight bad guys."

"I can fight bad guys," Joshua declared, as Diana's town car pulled up next to them. "I'm _really_ strong!"

He pretened to flex his muscles and Blair watched him, her expression serious.

"Very strong," she agreed. "Stronger than your brother."

She smiled at Chuck, brashly, as Joshua giggled.

Chuck rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "Alright, stop the teasing! You need to get home, J."

Blair loved that Chuck already had a term of endearment for him. She watched Chuck crouch down to hug Joshua, and then moved in to say her own goodbye.

"I hope I'll see you again, soon," Blair said, before bending down to kiss him on the cheek. "Bye, Joshua."

Joshua blushed, and smiled sheepishly at her. "Bye, Blair." He climbed into the car, shouting, "Say goodnight to Monkey for me," before the driver closed the door.

Chuck watched them drive away, sad that tomorrow would be his last day with him, before they went back to California.

"You okay?" Blair asked, rubbing her hand along his arm.

He smiled at her. "Yeah. I'm just sad to see him go. I don't want them to leave."

She squeezed his fingers, in hers. "You can go and visit them, whenever you want. I'm sure he'd love to see you more often."

He nodded in agreement. "You know," he began, smirking at her. "You really shouldn't mess with him like that. He may be young, but he's still male, so he'll undoubtedly fall in love with you."

She laughed. "Are you jealous, Bass? Worried that your little brother might be some tough competition for you?"

His eyes twinkled as his mouth lifted slightly at the corners.

"There is no competition, Blair, because we both know that I've already won."

She took a sharp intake of breath at his admission. He couldn't say things like that - all but admit that he still wanted her - and not expect her to kiss him. He was there, only inches away, but before she had a chance to close the distance between their lips, his limo pulled up.

"Come on. I'll give you a ride home."

He held the door open for her, and followed her inside, once she was seated.

During the journey uptown, she kept her hands pressed firmly between her knees. It was safer that way; she wouldn't be tempted to reach out and touch him.

"You seem tense. What's wrong?" Chuck asked, distracting her from her thoughts.

"Nothing's wrong," she assured him.

"Are you sure?"

She licked her lips as soon as those words left his mouth. They were the only words she could remember from the night she lost her virginity, in the back of that very limo. She had been shocked at the time. Chuck Bass asking her if she was sure? It almost seemed like he _cared_ about her. And he had; more than she would ever have wanted to imagine at the age of sixteen.

She was almost positive that he remembered saying those exact words to her, that night. He remembered everything about their relationship, from beginning to end, down to the very last detail. He memorized facts and figures, about things he truly cared about. It was why he was such a good businessman.

With this in mind, she was sure that he would know what kind of effect those words would have on her.

She slid closer to him across the seat, placing her hands on the leather between them.

"I'm sure," she whispered, as she leaned closer to him.

He closed the distance, kissing her firmly. His lips were soft and his tongue was teasing, as his hands bunched up the fabric of her dress, at her waist. As she pressed her body up against his, and her hands grabbed at his hair, one of his hands slid from her waist to her back, pulling her closer.

It feel wonderful to be so close to him again. This wasn't like their kiss at the Plaza. Chuck had been cautious that night, careful not to let her too close, even if he was succumbing to his baser instincts. But tonight, he was responsive, kissing her with an intensity that almost matched her own.

A silent agreement passed between them; this kiss would go no further. She wasn't clawing at his clothes, even if she was desperate for him. His movements were very deliberate - he was being affectionate, not suggestive.

They kissed until they had no choice but to stop. As the limo pulled up outside of her building, she slowly, reluctantly, pulled away from him. His forehead fell against hers, his cool breath ghosting across her face. She refused to open her eyes, wanting to stay in the moment, just a little longer.

"Please don't break my heart again."

Her eyes snapped open at this. His voice was small - a whisper - but there was so much pain laced through it. In that moment, Blair realized just how much she had hurt him.

"I won't," she promised, just as quiet.

She stroked his cheek before exiting the limo, and walking to her building on unsteady legs.


	10. Chapter 10

_It's the last chapter, so sad. :( _

_There will be no epilogue, but I am writing a companion piece that will include one-shots post-chapter 10. It will mainly involve the NJBC; I won't include any Humphrey, because I hate him. I'll post it within the next week._

_If anyone has read the recent spoilers, I'd like to say that I planned every chapter before I even started writing this story, so any similarities, are coincidental._

_Enjoy! Warning: it's about to get cheesy up in here!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

_aka 5.24_

Serena had stopped by the Waldorf penthouse, to pack up the few things she had left behind. Somehow, she had managed to fit all of her summer wardrobe, shoes and personal items into three suitcases.

She was sad to be leaving Manhattan and she would miss everyone, especially Blair and Chuck. She and Blair had reached a good point in their relationship, and after everything they had shared together this year, she had come to really care about Chuck.

That being said, she needed to get away, and she couldn't remember being this excited about anything, in a long time.

"Serena?"

She looked up at Blair, stood in the entrance to the bathroom.

"Hey," she said, smiling. "I just came over to pick up some of my stuff."

"Have you packed everything?"

"Almost."

"I can't believe you're really leaving," she said, dropping down onto Serena's bed. "It's not going to be the same around here."

"I'll be back before you know it." She paused, and looked around the room. "You didn't change anything in here."

Blair shrugged. "I was hoping you'd come back."

"Well, do you mind if I move back in, when I come home?"

Suddenly, Blair grinned and pulled Serena into her arms, and onto the bed. She laughed loudly as she fell on top of her best friend.

"Of course, you can move back in! It's going to be so good having you here again."

Serena looked over at Blair, who was lying next to her, with a huge smile on her face.

"I'm really glad we made up." She linked her fingers through Blair's, and sighed. "You know, now that the day has finally arrived, I'm nervous about leaving - about living on my own, in a foreign country."

"You'll be okay," Blair assured her, squeezing her hand. "You're Serena van der Woodsen - you're the most independant woman I know."

She snorted. "No way. That's you."

"It used to be," Blair said, quietely. "But I really screwed up, S. And I'm not sure if I'll ever be that girl again."

"You don't need to be that girl," Serena argued. "You can be a New Blair Waldorf. New and improved. All the witty remarks and bitchy comebacks, with a little more understanding. You've got to have learned something from everything that's happened, this past year."

Blair cocked her eyebrow. "Seriously, have you been taking psych classes?"

Serena laughed. "Shut up!"

It was silent was for a few seconds, as Blair rolled to her side.

"I'm really gonna miss you," Blair whispered.

"Me, too," Serena replied, as she also turned over, and carefully studied Blair's face.

Since the car accident, she had looked tired and weak, behind the cool exterior she always put on. Even when she was with Dan, there had been a lingering sadness in her eyes, even if he had made her happier, temporarily.

As she looked at her now, she couldn't pin-point exactly what it was, but something about Blair seemed lighter; easier. She wasn't sure why the change had occured, but she had a feeling her brother had something to do with it.

"Have you seen Chuck, recently?"

"I had dinner with him and Joshua, a few days ago. I haven't seen him since," she admitted, sadly. "He called me, but I guess he's sad about Joshua leaving, and didn't want to see anybody."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Serena agreed. "Are you two okay, now?"

"We're better than okay... we kissed," she added, shyly.

Serena's eyes widened. "You _kissed_?"

"Is it really so shocking?"

Serena shrugged. "No... but you guys haven't been together like _that_ in a long time." Serena side-eyed her. "Was it good?"

"Well, now that you know how great a kisser Chuck is-" Serena groaned as Blair laughed, "-what do _you_ think?"

Blair smiled to herself, as her eyes glazed over.

"That good?"

Blair turned to her, distracted from her thoughts. "Huh?"

Serena laughed and threw her arm around Blair's waist. "Oh, B. You're so cute."

"_Me_? Cute?" She scoffed. "No."

"Yes, you are," Serena argued. "You love each other. I mean, you've always loved each other, but it's different this time. He's happy now; he's in a really good place. If you two get back together, that can only be a good thing."

"But Chuck isn't the only problem, S." Blair sighed. "That night, after we kissed, he _pleaded_ with me, asked me not to break his heart again. But what if I do? I'd never be able to forgive myself."

"You've been through a lot, Blair. It's understandable that you lost your way, and when that happens, people get hurt," Serena reasoned. "But you're facing your problems now - not running away. The only way you could break his heart, is if you lose sight of who you are, and I really don't think that's going to happen again."

"I hope you're right. I don't want to hurt him, anymore. I know what being heartbroken feels like, and I don't want him to feel like that." She twisted a piece of Serena's hair around her finger. "If only there was some way that I could show him that I'm serious about us, and that I'm in it for the long haul."

"Maybe there is." Blair looked at her, silently asking her to continue. "Nate said something to me at your wedding, about grand gestures," Serena began. "My gesture for Dan didn't exactly turn out the way I planned, but that doesn't mean it will be the same for you."

"You think I should make a grand gesture?" Blair asked, her eyebrows furrowed. "But _men _are supposed to make those kind of gestures."

"So, change that! Break the rules, and make a gesture of your own."

Blair smiled. "You might be onto something. This could be my chance to show him that I really care."

Dorota interrupted the girls, when she knocked on Serena's door.

"Miss Blair? Dan is here to see you."

Blair frowned in confusion, and stood up, pulling Serena with her.

"Come with me," she insisted. "If he's here to fight, I want witnesses."

* * *

><p>"What do you want, Humphrey?" Blair demanded, as she descended the staircase.<p>

"You haven't been answering my calls or texts, so I thought I'd come and see you in person. I couldn't leave without saying goodbye."

Blair was confused. "You're leaving?"

"Where are you going?" Serena asked.

"I got in touch with Vanessa. I'm flying to Morocco, tomorrow. I'm going to spend my summer there, with her. I'm hoping to find some inspiration while I'm there; a muse that actually wants me to write about her." Blair smirked. "We didn't end things on good terms, but she was still my best friend, and I miss her. I think it would be good for me, to get away from New York, for a while."

Blair wasn't sure what to say. "Well... have a nice trip, Humphrey."

He smiled, sadly, and turned to leave.

"Dan, wait!" He looked back to Serena. "I'm having a going-away party at the Empire, tonight. You should stop by."

His smile was directed towards Serena this time, and he looked much happier.

"Sure. I'll be there. Thanks."

Serena ignored Blair's questioning look, as she watched Dan leave.

* * *

><p>"Blair?" Nate asked, lowering his cup of coffee. "Chuck's not here."<p>

She smiled, sweetly. "I'm not here to see Chuck. I'm here to see you."

"To see me?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes," she said, taking a seat on his couch. "I need to apologize."

"Why are you apologizing?"

She patted the seat next to her and he sat down.

"I'm sorry for completely neglecting you, and our friendship, Nate. This year has been really crazy, and I got married without even talking to you - the guy who I had planned to marry, since I was eight years-old."

He smiled, sadly. "It was pretty weird, seeing you up there in that big white dress. I guess I just thought that if I ever had to witness you marrying someone else, it would be Chuck. I really couldn't get my head around the situation."

"You thought I'd marry Chuck?" Blair asked, softly. She couldn't believe that he had thought about that.

"Well, yeah," he said, shrugging. "I thought you two were 'it' for each other. And when Chuck bought a ring, I was convinced that I would see it on your finger, one day."

Blair looked down at the floor, upset. "I'm not sure if that's ever going to happen for us, now."

"You don't know that," he argued. "You're Chuck and Blair. No matter what happens, you're still connected. I would be so easy to make that connection official."

Blair paused and thought back to what Serena had told her earlier. _Nate said something to me at your wedding, about grand gestures... _

She smiled and leaned towards him. "I need you to help me with something important, Nate. Will you?"

"Of course," Nate agreed, easily. "Non-Judging Breakfast Club, right?"

Blair grinned and quickly informed Nate of what she had in mind. They had a lot to discuss, before Chuck returned.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Serena said, sitting down next to Chuck at the bar. "Let me buy you a drink."<p>

"You don't need to. I can get my own," Chuck argued.

"No, insist. It can be a 'thank you' for letting me crash, and for throwing this party."

Chuck nodded and gave the bartender his order: a scotch on the rocks. Serena ordered a vodka martini for herself.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm going to miss you," Serena admitted, smiling.

He laughed. "Yeah, me neither. But you've gotten me through a lot. I don't know how I would have coped without you."

She bumped his shoulder. "Ditto."

"Hey, guys," Nate said, behind them. They turned to face him and Dan.

"Serena, come dance with me?" Dan asked Serena, nodding towards the dancefloor.

Serena grinned and took his hand in hers, leading him to the dancing people. Nate took Serena's vacated seat, and finished off her martini.

"I didn't know you were a martini man, Nathaniel."

He shrugged. "It's alcohol, and I'm in need of it."

"What's wrong?" Chuck asked, concerned about his friend's sour mood.

"Lola dumped me," he replied. "She's moving back to Florida, with her mom."

"I'm sorry," Chuck said, patting him on the back. He then, hesistantly asked, "Is that the only thing that's got you down?"

"What do you mean?" Nate asked, confused.

"Are you sure you're not upset, because a certain blonde is moving to another country?"

Nate said nothing, staring at the bartop as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"I'll miss her, too, but she'll be home by November. It's only six months."

"Whatever," Nate sighed. "I need a beer."

"Have you seen Blair tonight?" Chuck asked, as he swept the room with his eyes in search of her.

"Yeah, she's here. She was talking to Lily, the last time I saw her." He took his beer from the bartender. "Are things good between you two?" Nate asked, sipping his drink.

"Really good," Chuck answered. "It feels so much better this time. We're actually _friends_; I don't think I've ever really been her friend, before."

"No, I don't think you have," Nate agreed, laughing. "She still hurt you pretty bad, man. Are you sure you can move past that?"

"I hurt her a lot, too," he retorted. "I think we're finally even."

Nate nodded. "Well, I'm happy for you. Now, you just need to man up and tell her how you really feel."

"I will," he assured him. "Tonight might be the night, Nathaniel."

* * *

><p>"I read the chapter," Serena informed Dan, as she ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.<p>

"You did?" Dan asked, his face buried in Serena's hair as they swayed to the music. "What did you think?"

"I think it was the sweetest thing you've ever written," she replied. "I also think it was what I needed, to find closure."

"Closure?" Dan breathed.

"I needed to get over you, Dan. Over my high school fantasy," she admitted. "And I finally did."

His hands tightened around her waist and he rested his forehead on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I never thought I was capable of hurting you the way I did, and I don't think I can ever forgive myself for it."

"It's okay," she assured him, even though she wasn't sure that it was.

The hand wrapped around his neck, held on tighter, as she struggled to keep her tears at bay. This was it, she could feel it; this was goodbye. And not just for the summer.

She didn't know if she'd ever speak to him again. They were now destined for a life where they ignored each other at family dinners, and never went out of their way to find each other. It was the end, and no matter how he had treated her recently, she would always miss him: the infatuated school boy, who had picked her up when she had fallen.

She leaned her head back and looked him in the eye, tears freely running down her cheeks, now. His own eyes were filled with tears; he knew what this was, and what this meant.

"I love you, Dan. I always will."

"I love you, too."

She pressed her lips to his, for the last time, and relished in the fact that it still felt as wonderful as it had, five years ago, on that street in the Meatpacking District.

They continued to gently sway to the music - her chin resting on his shoulder - and held each other tighter, than they ever had before.

* * *

><p>Serena decided to leave before the party ended. Chuck had gone outside to speak to Arthur, and to check that all her bags were in the car.<p>

After saying goodbye to everyone inside, Serena made her way outside, followed by her mom, Rufus, Dan, Nate, Blair and Chuck.

"Have a great time, sweetheart," Lily said, squeezing her daughter into a tight hug.

Rufus also hugged his step-daughter, before they both took a step back, and allowed everyone else to say their goodbyes.

"Be safe," Dan said, pulling her to him for a lighter, happier embrace, than the one they had shared earlier.

"Have fun," Nate said, kissing her cheek. "And don't marry some greek guy, while you're there," he warned her, teasingly.

She rolled her eyes but smiled, anyway, and hugged him, tightly.

"See you in six months, sis."

Serena was surpised at herself for tearing up. She threw her arms around Chuck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you for everything," she whispered in his ear.

"Anytime," he whispered back.

Blair was already crying when Serena approached her.

"I don't know why, but this was so much easier when you ran away, and didn't tell anybody," she joked, laughing through her tears. She took Serena's hands in hers. "Have an amazing time, dance and flirt with as many guys as you can, and don't forget to email me while you're gone."

"I won't," she promised, hugging Blair as tightly as she could. "I'll miss you so much, B."

"I'll miss you, too."

"Don't let him get away," she whispered, before pulling back.

Blair giggled and wiped a tear from Serena's cheek. "I won't."

She took a deep breath and straightened out her dress.

"Well, I guess this is it." She smiled as a few more tears fell, and reluctantly got into the car.

She waved at them through the back window until she could no longer see them, and then turned to look out the window at the lights of the city; the home she had returned to.

She felt like she had truly come full circle.

* * *

><p>Dan wandered over to Blair, who was sat at a table, watching the dancing couples across the room.<p>

"Hey," he said. "Can I sit?"

She nodded and watched him carefully as he sat down, waiting for him to come out with whatever it was, he wanted to say.

"I just wanted to talk to you, before I left tomorrow. I didn't feel right, leaving things the way they are."

"It wouldn't have been right," she agreed. "And I'm glad you came to talk to me, because I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For being there for me. You didn't make things any easier for me, but I know you had my best interests at heart. We may have royally screwed up, but I'm still grateful to you, for standing by my side."

"I was only trying to help you, and I let my feelings get in the way. I know I messed up, but I'd really like us to be friends again, one day."

Blair smiled. "Me, too." She pecked Dan's cheek and then rose from her seat. "Have a good summer, Humphrey."

"You, too," he responded, before he vacated his own seat, and left the Empire.

* * *

><p>They party was winding down, and Chuck was ready to go back to his suite, and relax.<p>

When he entered his living room, he saw a stack of DVDs on his coffee table. On top of them, there was a Post-It.

_A peace offering. I was hoping we could watch the trilogy when I return. - D_

Chuck looked down at the cases of _The Matrix Reloaded_ and _The Matrix Revolutions, _and smirked. He still wasn't ready to forgive him, but there was a strong possibility that he would be, when Dan returned to New York, next year. Twelve months away from Hum-Drum Humphrey would certainly make his life easier.

As he filed the DVD's away in his collection, Nate entered the suite, his tie hanging around his neck, and his jacket thrown over his arm.

"Hey, man," he said, dropping onto the sofa. "Did you find Blair?"

"No," he said, sadly. "I'll call her tomorrow. I'm sure she just wants to be alone. She always takes it hard whenever she and Serena are seperated."

"Yeah, it really sucks. I never thought she'd leave us, again. Why can't she just be happy here?"

"It's nothing personal, Nathaniel. She wanted to get away, so she did. Besides, she'll be back before you know it." Chuck removed the cigar he had been keeping in his inside pocket all night, and walked towards the elevator. "I'm going up to the roof to smoke this. You can drown your sorrows in some of my finest scotch, while I'm gone."

Chuck pushed the door to the rooftop open, lighter in hand, but stopped when he saw a girl stood by the edge of the roof, looking down at the city below.

"Blair?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice, and turned around.

"Hey." She smiled, weakly, and he could see the tears tracks on her cheeks.

"What are you doing up here on your own?" he asked, taking off his jacket.

"I wanted to be alone."

He offered her his jacket, but she declined. "I have your scarf. See," she said, lifting up one end, as it lay across her shoulders.

"I still love that thing," he admitted, running his hand along the smooth fabric.

She smiled and adjusted it around her neck.

"I have something for you," she said, reaching down for the bottle of scotch she had bought him. "Here."

"What's this?" he asked, taking it from her.

"A token gesture. It's not stockings from Germany, or macarons from Paris, but I did buy it from a good liquer store on 89th street." He laughed. "I pretty much owe you a bottle. You drink when you're feeling low, and with all the pain I've caused you, I'm sure you're running out."

He smirked. "I always have plenty of scotch, but thank you. I appreciate it."

She smiled, allowing more tears to escape.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, softly, wiping them away with his thumb.

"I've just lost my best friend, and I really don't want to lose you, too."

"Serena's going to come back, and you're not going to lose me. You know this."

She shook her head. "But if we ever get back together, I'll break your heart again. I know it."

He slipped his cigar back into his pocket and took her hands in his. "_When_ we reuinte, promise me that you won't break my heart."

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Just promise me."

"I promise you, that I won't break your heart again," she said, her voice breaking towards the end.

"And I promise that I won't break yours," he replied. "Now that we've promised, if either of us hurts the other, we have to remind ourselves of this conversation. And then we have to move past it; whatever it is, that's hurting us."

"But we don't know what we're capable of."

"Blair," he began, "we've both been at our lowest. I traded you for a hotel, and you dated Dan Humphrey." She laughed at that. "Things can only get better."

She leaned her forehead against hers. "Please be with me."

"I want to be. So badly. But I'm not sure if I'm ready, yet; I'm not sure if you're ready."

"I am ready," she insisted. "Chuck, I am _so_ sorry for all the pain that I've caused you, and I promise to make it up to you, even if it takes me the rest of my life."

He frowned, unsure of why she was throwing his own words back at him. That night had been so awful; why would she bring that up?

"What if you get scared, and run from me, again?"

"I won't! You have to believe me," she pleaded, running her hand along the side of his face.

He swallowed and studied her face, hardened with conviction. "I do. I believe you," he promised.

He pressed his lips softly against hers, and she sighed in relief, pulling him closer by his lapels.

"Is that all?" he asked, when they broke apart. He closed his eyes and buried his face in her neck, hoping to get an "I love you" out of her, but not wanting to be the first to say it.

"Marry me?" she whispered.

He tensed and pulled away from her. "What?"

She looked him straight in the eye, and attempting to sound confident, asked him again, "Chuck Bass, will you marry me?"

His initial reaction was "no". They had been through so much - she had recently gotten divorced. So many things could go wrong, if they got engaged so quickly.

But another part of him - the reckless part of him that had used unorthodox methods to try and win her back, and had almost destroyed him in his attempt to feel something - reconsidered.

_The word is Yes. I say it at anything. If an opportunity presents itself I take it._

He'd lost sight of this motto when he had returned to New York, but he didn't want to be a man that went back on his word.

"Chuck?" Blair looked nervous.

"Yes." Her eyes widened and he scooped her into his arms, lifting her off the ground. "Yes, I'll marry you," he repeated, as she giggled.

He spun her around, before gently lowering her to the ground.

"I love you, so much," she said, before kissing him softly on both cheeks, his forehead, and his lips.

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>Wanting to have some time alone before they returned to Chuck's suite - and Nate - Chuck put his jacket on the ground, and the both lay on it, looking up at the stars.<p>

"I need to buy you a ring," Chuck said, rubbing his thumb along her ring finger.

"But _I_ proposed to _you_. Shouldn't you be wearing the ring?"

"This engagement is already too unconventional, for my liking. Don't push it, Waldorf."

She laughed and kissed his cheek. "Did you ever get my old ring back?"

He shook his head. "I don't want it back - it was a bad omen. We don't need any of those." He was quiet for a moment, before he asked, "Why did you propose to me here?"

"This hotel is a physical representation of the struggles we've been through. I thought I could change that - make it more positive. Besides, it's called the Empire, and I'm Queen, which makes you my King. It's kind of fitting, don't you think?"

Chuck raised one eyebrow. "I thought you were done with the fairytales?"

"That is not a fairytale, that is fact. I _am_ Queen."

He laughed. "Right. My mistake." He sighed and sat up. "We should get inside. It's too cold out here, and I know you're dying to tell somebody our news, so you can tell Nate."

Blair bit her lip. "Nate already knows."

"_What?_ How?"

"I asked him which scotch to buy, and we discussed where I should propose during lunch, today."

Chuck's eyebrows raised in shock. "I didn't know Nathaniel was capable of keeping a secret."

"You underestimate him," Blair said, as she dusted off her dress. "I can't believe you got me to lie on the roof of a hotel, Bass."

He laughed and wrapped his arm around her waist as they took the stairs, to the elevator.

"I had a motto this summer," he informed her. "My motto was simply, 'yes'. I would say it to anything. If someone told me to do something, no matter how much it scared me, I said 'yes', and did it, anyway."

"Is that why you were so reckless, and kept putting yourself in danger?" He frowned at her, wanting to know how she obtained this information. "Humphrey told me," she explained. He rolled his eyes.

"I did some stupid things, and I put myself in danger. But I also did some great things, so I'm bringing it back." He squeezed her hip. "You should try it."

"So I just say 'yes' to anything?"

"Exactly." He smirked to himself as they entered the elevator, and decided to have some fun. "When we get back to my suite, will you have a glass of scotch with me?"

She smiled. "Yes.

"Will you watch _The Matrix Reloaded_ with me?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Yes?"

"If I get Nate out of the suite tomorrow, will you spend the entire day naked?"

She smirked and reached up on her toes to kiss him. "Definitely."

He laughed against her lips.

"Will you make love to me, Charles Bass?" she asked, over-dramatically, pretending to be a modern day Vivien Leigh, or Ingrid Bergman.

Elated, and feeling happier than he could ever remember, he dipped her in the elevator, and gave her a Hollywood kiss.

"Why, yes, milady."

She laughed loudly as she raced from the elevator to his bedroom. Just hearing that sound, and knowing he was the cause of it, made all of the pain seem worth it.


End file.
